To aru noroi no deep blood
by hadeskagemusha
Summary: an unknown scourge is about to rise and threatens the world of magic and science.
1. prologue

**To aru noroi no deep blood**

**prologue**

_ During a dark full moon night..._

Two men were facing each other in a devastated place that seemed to be the throne room of a castle. The pillars standing at the side of the room were destroyed and their crushed debris were scattered all over the place. The stained-glass windows which used to represent figures of the Christianity were broken, letting in a glimmer from time to time. The room was strewed with craters and some bloodstain could be seen on the floor. Apparently, this place was the scene of a life-and-death struggle.

On the one hand, there was a man with medium black hair who was wearing a long brow coat, black trousers and a black long-sleeved shirt and a christian cross necklace. He was wielding a long sword with his right hand and some vials filled with a strange liquid were attached to his coat as well as a crossbow and a quiver on his back. He was pouring with sweat, puffing and blood was trickling down his left hand, covering the right side of his stomach.

On the other hand, a tall man with medium white hair was sitting in a chair at the top of some steps with his right leg crossed over his left one. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a long black cloak on his shoulder. He was leaning his head against his right arm, supported by a armrest. His left hand was holding a wineglass filled with a crimson liquid. A sadistic smile could be seen on his face as he was bringing the wineglass to his lips.

-Is that all you have? What a pity! said the man who was obviously the strongest, staring the one who was about to collapse. Just surrender and I'll make sure your death will be quick and painless.

-No matter what can happen to my body and my soul, I am sworn to destroy you and your kind, answered the black hair man with a grin that seemed to require some effort in order to provoke his opponent.

As those words were pronounced, the amused smile of the white hair man disappeared, leaving a face filled with anger and annoyance.

"So be it, DIE!"

Upon those words, the tall man stood up and crushed the wineglass he was was holding, causing several cuts to the palm of his hand. The blood pouring from his hand started to gather above his palm to form a ball of dark energy, emitting orange sparks and growing as the blood was being drained to form the magic projectile. When the dark energy became as big as a shell, he threw it at the injured man.

Although the swordsman was more dead than alive and had a blurred vision, he kept his composure. He emptied his remaining vials around him to form a circle and stuck his sword into the floor before himself. He grabbed the necklace around his neck with his hands and started saying a prayer.

"Holy Mother, grant your power to this soul and protect it from these sins." Upon these words, the liquid surrounding the priest started to glow, thus creating a magical barrier around him.

The two opposite powers, light and darkness, clashed in a huge explosion. However, it was useless. The barrier couldn't handle the overwhelming dark power and exploded along with the sword. The explosion blew him and sent him violently to the wall behind him. The moment he collided into the wall, a crack sound was heard from his broken ribs. The man coughed a spray of blood due to some broken ribs that had pierced his lungs.

-It is over, said the magician with a triumphant smile while he was taking the time to walk toward his defeated enemy in order to finish him off.

-You are overconfident and you drop your guard, said with difficulty the man as he was pointing a necklace with fragments of the broken sword scattered around it nearby the clueless foe.

-What...

The man dressed in a black tuxedo didn't have the time to finish his sentence that the sword's fragments moved to form a circle of light around him, preventing him from moving. At this moment, anger and despair could be seen on his face.

-How dare you? You know that if you use this spell...

-I am already dying so it doesn't matter if use it. However it seems I don't have enough strength left to kill you but I can still seal your soul away from your body.

-You are just delaying the inevitable. I shall rise again even if it takes me decades.

-And this day, another person will stand against you.

As soon as the dying man pronounced this sentence, the light emitted by the magical trap radiated the room. When its light disappeared, the only thing that remained was 2 lifeless corpses.

* * *

><p><em>In a certain apartment, in Italy...<em>

"AAHH!" screamed a man as he was waking with a start.

The man was covering his face with his hands, breathing erratically. He got up from his bed and headed for the bathroom. As he entered the bathroom, he switched the light on and opened the sink faucet to splash his sweating face with water.

He looked at the mirror and whispered to himself.

-This nightmare is happening more often recently, this could only mean..., he pulled a towel to wipe his face. We are short of time, I must hurry.

After regaining his composure, he left the bathroom and quickly dressed with blue jeans, a white T-shirt, white shoes and a black leather jacket. He grabbed a sport bag placed on a chair next to the front door and exited.

* * *

><p><em>Author's note : since it is my first fanfiction and english is not my native language, the publishing rate might be slow (really?).<em>

_P.S : I hope u enjoyed the prologue though you might think it is not related to "toaru majutsu no index" and please review me if you see too many grammar, spelling errors so I can correct them in the next chapters._


	2. Iron Wall versus Idiot

**To aru noroi no deep blood**

This fan-fiction happens between the end of TAMNI II and the riot in France (though it doesn't totally fits with the canon timeline since the Document of Constantine arc starts the 4th October).

**Chapter 1 : Iron Wall versus Idiot**

October 4th

-Such misfortune! said a spiky haired boy running as if Death was chasing him.

That was the famous catchphrase of a certain level 0 student named Kamijo Touma whose life was nothing but a chain of unfortunate events. First thing in the morning, he discovered his fridge was empty, what triggered the fury of his roommate, a nun with long silver hair named Index whose stomach could be compared to a bottomless pit or a black hole. It resulted in several bites marks over Touma's body, mainly the top of his head. Just after that, he stepped on Sphinx's tail, Index's cat, what led to more cannibals strikes from her. His misfortune kept going after him as he bumped into a person who appeared the leader of some thugs with psychic abilities, just because of a wandering tennis ball which should never have been here anyway. Kamijo Touma tried to shake off his pursuers but only ended in a dead end, what forced to knock them off. At least, he was use to it and was quite skilled in street fight. Nonetheless, all these events made him being late for his class.

All these kind of events were part of his daily life, thanks to a mysterious power he had in his right hand, Imagine Breaker. Any supernatural power, like magic, esper ability and even luck was canceled if this hand touched it.

After a race against the clock he won barely, he went to his classroom and flopped onto his chair,trying to recover his breath and wiping the sweat on the forehand with a handkerchief.

-Yo Kami-yan! greeted Tsuchimikado Motoharu, his classmate and next-door neighbor at the dormitory he is staying at in district 7 (there are 23 districts in Academy City) and secondarily a member of the Delta Force. You sure look exhausted, did you spend the night doing naughty things with that nun so you couldn't wake up in time Nya? he added with a stupid smile.

-What the hell are you talking about? And don't says such things that could lead to a misunderstanding! answered Touma with a serious face as he forgot he was exhausted. It's just that I had to make the run of my life because of my infamous misfortune.

-NYAHA, but for someone who has a terrible luck, u have nice har...

Before he could finish his sentence, the spiky haired boy punched the blond boy with black sunglasses.

-What did I just tell you about the misunderstanding? said Touma as a pop up vein could be seen on his left temple.

-OK, OK, I stop teasing you NYAA, answered Motoharu with an amused smile as he was scratching the top of his head where Touma had hit him.

Then a small girl with pink hair entered the classroom. It was Tsukuyomi Komoe, one of the seven wonders in Academy City, also known as the legendary unageing teacher.

-Good morning everyone! Today, we are receiving a new transfer student..., she announced cheerfully.

-I hope it's a cute girl, said Aogami Pierce happily as usual.

-...and unfortunately for you, it's a boy.

-Crap! he sighed as he put his chin on his hands with a bored and disappointed look on his face.

-Please, come in and present yourself, she said when looking at the half-open door.

The mysterious student entered the classroom. He was 5 feet 9 inches, had short blond hair and a pretty face like these bishonen in shojos. Despite that, he looked quite athletic and one noticeable thing was that he was wearing black leather gloves and a white headband on his forehand.

-Hello everyone, my name is Charles Durandal, I used to live in France but I moved to Academy City in order to attend the Power Curriculum Program. Nice to meet you, he said with a shining smile for the girls.

"Huh?" was the boys' expression whereas "Handsome!" was the girls' one except for Himegami Aisa who just looked at him with an expressionless face and Fukiyose Seiri who thought Delta Force had found its fourth member.

-Thank you. You can have a seat behind Kamijou-san, said the teacher, a bit embarrassed by his fancy introduction while pointing at Touma.

-Here comes a new challenger! muttered Motoharu.

-Such misfortune! answered Touma.

The lesson occurred normally but Touma didn't pay attention to it as he was remembering his encounter with Acqua of the Back after he defeated Vento of the Front.

_"If all the God's Right Seat is that strong, it will be really troublesome"_, thought Touma.

The bell rang, pointing out the end of the lesson. During the lunch break, the girls who were mesmerized previously started to gather around him to ask him some questions.

-Are you really french? Your Japanese is really good, asked one of them

-In fact, my father is french and my mother is Japanese. After they married in Japan, they decided to live in France but my mother kept teaching Japanese since the moment is was able to understand it.

-How romantic! sighed some girls.

-Are all the French as pretty as you? asked an other girl with a blushed face.

-Meh, that's an embarrassing question, he said while scratching the back of his head.

_"This guy is my hero!"_ thought Aogami.

He answered all the questions asked by his newborn fan club until this one came up :

-Why are you wearing gloves?

-Well...

As the new student tried to avoid this question, he turned his head to Himegami who was eating her bento alone quietly and went to her.

-Bonjour, mademoiselle! I think we didn't introduce ourselves, he told her.

Himegami was surprised that a boy naturally came to her as she was usually ignored because of her lack of individuality. She couldn't help but to answer by lowering her head with blushed cheeks. At that time, Fukiyose decided to intervene.

-Oi! Are you intending to seduce all the girls here? She shouted.

The philanderer looked at her with an innocent smile and came closer.

-My! Would you be jealous? A lady like you should have many men falling in love with you with asset like yours, he replied to her while watching at her breast.

Fukiyose's head streamed and reddened of anger and embarrassment, her shoulders shivered and she yelled

-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT?

She punched him with her right fist. However, he dodged it and mowed her left foot, causing her to lose balance because of the huge amount of strength she put in this hit. Before she could hit the floor, Charles grabbed her and hold her like one of those position you could see in romantic movies when the man is about to kiss his beloved one.

-You have a nice forehead, he added with an arrogant smile.

Fukiyose's face blushed more than ever. She gritted her teeth, howled with rage at him and hit his most precious "thing" with a knee.

-BAKA! HENTAI!

The hit connected and time stopped 5 seconds although there was no chronokinesis esper around. Albeit the others boys were enjoying this sweet revenge for their wounded pride, they couldn't help but to feel sympathy for him. Then, she grabbed his collar and pulled herself to finish him off with a headbutt. Charles was stunned and fell on the floor.

-DO NOT DO IT ANYMORE! warned the "iron wall" girl.

The head-banded man quickly recovered from the deadly combo and dusted his shirt after rising painfully.

-All right! he turned to the rest of the classroom's students. Please, forgive me for this improper behavior, he apologized with a bow.

_"Getting his ass kicked by Fukiyose the first day, this guy is quite unfortunate"_, thought Touma.

-Aogami-san, Kami-yan, i think we just have found our new member, announced proudly Motoharu while he put his arms around Aogami's and Touma's shoulder.

Later in the afternoon, when the course of the day was over. Touma was leaving the staff room where he had been lectured by Komoe sensei for not paying attention to the lesson of the morning. A voice from behind stopped him.

-Excuse me!

Touma turned back to see the person who called him. It was Charles Durandal.

-I know I acted like a jerk during the lunch break but when this girl asked me about these gloves, i tried to find a way to not answer it and then, this big breast girl...

-You mean Fukiyose-san, clarified Touma.

-... Yeah, sorry! I felt the urge to fight her. I practice martial arts and I can't help but to challenge strong opponents, whoever they are, he said ashamed but proud at the same time.

-That was reckless but I must say I was impressed, replied Touma with a forced smile.

-Thanks! Now I'll go straight to the point. I am a newcomer in this city and I don't know it very well. Would you mind reviewing matters? he asked while he was joining his hands as if he was begging for mercy.

-Sure! I didn't have anything planned anyway, acquiesced the spiky haired boy.

-Thank you very much! Since u agreed to help me, I will tell you why I always wear these gloves. I keep them because of my esper ability "DNA reader". Whenever my skin touches someone's else skin i can access to his genetic memory, what allows me to see all his memories as well as the ones he forgot. It would even allow me to see the memory of his ancestors stored in his DNA but i don't have the level of ability needed for that yet. Besides, i can't really control my ability and it gives me huge headaches when i use it.

Touma looked at his right hand and muttered to himself. "We both have a powerful ability that bring us problems. Such misfortune!".

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, in the 177th Branch of Judgment's office.<em>

-How come those Skill-Out gangs keep harasing people in the street. We already dealt with at least ten of them, sighed a girl sited in front of a desk, where there were stacks of papers concerning different kind of cases. She had coral-pink hair tied into two pigtails, a depressed look on her face.

-It can't be help, Shirai-san, answered an other older girl with eyeglasses, trying to cheer on the younger one. The least we can do is to protect the civilians and ensure that nobody is badly injured, she added as she bent back on her chair to discharge her tiredness.

-I guess you're right, Konori-senpai. Honestly! If it was just up to me, I would go to STRANGE and arrest them all, said Kuroko as she lay down her head on her desk.

Suddenly, the phone rang and Konori picked it up.

"Hi! This is Judgment. What can we do to help you?"

She listened to the phone and then turned to Kuroko after putting it down.

-There is another aggression in the 15th District. Kuroko, go there and investigate!

-Hai! answered Kuroko as she left the office.

* * *

><p><em>Somewhere else in Academy City...<em>

A traveler, wearing a black leather jacket and holding a sport bag on his right shoulder, was suddenly surrounded by a group of thugs. One of them, who apparently seemed to be their chief, took a step forward.

"Hey! You! Obviously, you are not from here. You must be rich if you can come to Academy City. Would you mind lending some money to people who are in need?", he said while some other thugs were starting to show off with weapons and esper abilities.

The man looked around him. They were at least a dozen. He dropped his bag and cracked his knuckles.

-Who wants some? he said, indifferent to the threat.

-Get him! shouted the leader.

After a fierce battle, they were all knocked down, lying on the ground with injuries. Only remained the leader who was shaking with fear after he witnessed the slaughter. The stranger, covered with several burns and bruises, moved towards him and took out a photo from his jacket.

-Have you seen this girl? he asked with an intimidating gaze.

-No! Please don't hurt me! answered the coward, shielding his face with his hands.

The stranger put the photo in his jacket and left, leaving a crying man all on his own.

* * *

><p>Author's note :<p>

-STRANGE is the term used to refer to an area located within district 10 where there is a high prevalence of gang-related activity.

-Charles' power didn't activate when Fukiyose headbutted him because she touched the headband.

Here we are for chapter one, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did :D


	3. Nostalgia

**To aru noroi no deep blood**

**chapter 2 : Nostalgia**

_I__n London, in a park nearby St. George Cathedral..._

The sun was at its zenith and the weather was cool, with some passing clouds hiding the sunlight from time to time. A long blonde hair woman was sitting on a bench, looking at a the dukes and swans that were swimming in a lake standing before her. She was mumbling a song, waiting for someone. As a small breeze swept her hair, a man called her from behind.

-Good afternoon, archbishop Laura Stuart, he greeted solemnly as he stood beside her.

-Good afternoon, Styil Magnus, she replied to him as she looked over her left shoulder.

It was a tall man with red hair, dressed in a black priest robe and he had a silver ring on each of his ten fingers as well as bar-code tattoo under his right eye. Despite his appearance and being in the habit of smoking, he was only a 14-year-old teenager.

-Please, don't be so formal, she said with an attentive smile. The weather is fair today. Would you like to go for a walk?

-It doesn't bother me, Ms Laura, he answered in a monotonous tone.

They walked through the streets of London and talked about uninteresting topics started by the elegant woman. But as the conversation went along, the young magician lost his patience.

-Your highness didn't summon me for such trivial things, didn't she?, he said irritated.

-You are right.

She took a photo from her wallet.

-Could you have a look at this first?

She handed the photo to Magnus. He took it and as he watched it, his eyes widened.

"This is..."

* * *

><p><em>Two years ago, in Vatican church's library...<em>

_ -_Don't be afraid! said a young blond hair boy to a little girl with silver hair.

-But..., she said as she tried to hold her tears.

-You shouldn't worry. This is not the first time you have to do this. I'm sure everything will be fine, he said to reassure her as he was holding her shivering shoulders with his hands.

-Thank you! she said when she finally felt at ease.

Two men, dressed with black priest robe, whose faces couldn't be seen, came from the door that was standing in front of the young people.

"It is time!", said one of them with an intimidating voice.

They went behind the young girl and took her inside the dark room.

"I'll wait for you outside", shouted the boy as his friend disappeared in the darkness.

_Few minutes later, outside the Vatican church's library..._

The boy was wandering in the gardens of the imposing building, hoping for his friend to be fine when suddenly, he heard a group of people arguing not far away from his position. Intrigued, he decided to spy them. Near a fountain, there were six men in their early 20s, all dressed with black priest robe. They were surrounding a younger man with short disheveled red hair, who apparently was sixteen-seventeen years old. Unlike the others people, he was wearing a biker's outfit and a Christian cross necklace was hanging around his neck.

-How dare you coming here dressed like a thug? said one of them.

-I can't believe you are one of his descendant, quickly added another.

-Excuse me guys but your lecture is boring me, answered the rebel with a bored look on his face.

The one who was facing the rebel gave him a slap.

-You may be one of the favorite of his highness but you are nothing more but an offender. The time has come, for the ones who truly serves him, to teach you a lesson, he tensed his right arm toward the necklace. You don't deserve it.

Suddenly, the attacker fell on the ground, victim of a sudden and violent fist in the guts. This act of rebellion surprised the others men dressed in black priest robe, who moved back.

"Don't even dare putting your filthy hands on this", he said scornfully as he was removing his jacket.

There were two angel's wings tattooed on his back, a black one on his right side and a white one on his left side. He cracked his knuckles to intimidate them.

"Don't mock us!", said the man who recovered from the surprised attack as he was standing up.

The young spy was impressed at the sight of the tattooed wings but he was even more impressed when he saw him dealing with the gang. Since the priests were spending most of their time for studying magic, their skills in hand-to-hand combat was nothing compared to the young man, who just had to dodge on the side and punch them in the face when they were loosing their balance, to deal a maximum of damage with a minimum of efforts. In the end, this fight was barely enough for a warm-up. As he picked up his jacket, others priest arrived.

-Hey! What's happening here?, shouted one of the priests when he saw his fellows lying on the ground.

-Damn! More troubles! he told to himself as he was running away.

Later, the kid was still wandering around the Vatican church's library since his friend didn't finish her task. At one point, he saw smoke coming from a corner in a halfway, not far away from where his friend was. He decided to check what it could be and discovered the man with a cross necklace who fought earlier, sat on stairs and smoking a cigarette. As the smoking man noticed the boy who was looking at him, this one couldn't help but to hide.

-Come here kid, I won't bite you, he said with a friendly smile.

At first, the kid was intimidated but as soon as he understood the man wouldn't harm him, he decided to sit next to him. The man looked at his outfit and said : You are not from this church, aren't you?

-That's right, Sir. I'm from St. George Cathedral, said the kid politely.

-Then you must be from Necessarius, he deduced from the first answer.

-Yes, I am, he confirmed.

-What is your name, kid?

-My name is Styil Magnus.

The man introduced himself.

-My name is Gabriel Van Helsing, my sorcery name is Paenitentiam145 "The one who regrets his sins".

He took a breath of nicotine and then handed the cigarette to the boy.

-Do you want to try it?

Curious, he accepted the proposal.

-Kof, kof!

The boy coughed as it was the first time he ever smoked.

-This tastes awfully!

-Hahaha! Like the coffee, it gets better when you get used to it. It also makes you look badass and some girls just like it, he answered with a grin as he picked an other cigarette and a lighter with a flame drawn on it.

As the boy was smoking, the smoke became less irritant for him.

-A world without nicotine would be hell! claimed Gabriel. By the way, what are you doing here?

-I am waiting for my friend, she went in that room to perform a ritual but she is not back yet, answered Styil, a little worried. I saw you fighting earlier. What is the tattoo on your back representing ?

-These black and white wings represents the duality between the light and darkness that lies within every human being, he paused then added. It also represents the difference between what I used to be and who I am now.

Styil was intrigued by his last sentence.

-What do you mean, Mr. Helsing?"

-Just call me Gabriel, I am not used to the usual formalities, he took a deep breath of nicotine. You see, I was an orphan and when I was younger, I used to start fights whenever I could. I was also skipping the teaching of the church and I was spending my time with other thugs. People were afraid and I was doing anything I wanted. But one day, I was ambushed and beaten to death. I thought I was going to die as I were losing consciousness but when I woke up, I was in a bed with bandages covering my wounds. A woman was standing next to me and told me : "You are finally awake! It has been five days since I found you lying unconscious on the ground". At first, I was surprised that someone would go to a lot of trouble to save me, a miserable thug. I asked her why and she answered : "Every life is unique and precious, you should value yours". She was the one who taught the balance between good and evil during my recovery time and I can say she was my first true friend.

-She must be really kind person. Where does she live? asked the boy who was wondering if he could meet her one day.

-She is not from this world anymore. She died a natural death, he said with a sad look on his face. The last gift she could give me, before she died, was the necklace she was always wearing around her neck, he said as he was pressing it on his chest.

-I'm sorry, he said shyly as he felt guilty about making Gabriel sad.

-You don't need to excuse. Anyway, I vowed on her tombstone that I would do anything I can to protect the people I cherish. I went to the Roman Catholic Church to study the magic and this is how I learned more about my lineage, he said then sighed. But people still don't trust me because of my appearance and my past.

-What did you learn about your lineage? said Styil, hoping it wouldn't lead to an embarrassment like before.

-Well...

Suddenly, the door of the room ,where the ritual occurred, opened. The girl went out and gave Styil a wave with her left hand. Gabriel looked at Styil who was waving at her. He smiled as he saw glee on the face of the blond kid.

-Will you follow her till the depths of hell? asked Gabriel with a determinate expression.

-Huh? said the boy who didn't understand the meaning of these words.

-You don't have to answer but just promise me you will. Now go, she is waiting for you.

As Styil joined his friend hastily, Gabriel called him.

"Hey, kid! Take this!"

Styil tensed his hands and caught the item Gabriel threw to him instinctively.

"You can keep it."

Gabriel stood up and climbed the stairs. When Styil lost sight of him, he looked at the gift his new friend had given to him, which was the lighter he used for his first cigarette.

* * *

><p>When Styil snapped out of his nostalgic memories, he noticed he was holding the lighter Gabriel gave him two years ago. He took out a cigarette from his robe and despite the fact that he could light it with magic, he used the lighter for it.<p>

_"It seems I couldn't fulfill my promise after all"_, he thought with regrets.

-You know him, do you? said Laura.

-I do. But why are you asking me for that? answered Styil who knew this wasn't an innocent question.

-According to our informants, he was spotted in Academy City but his purposes are unknown. With the recent event that occurred in Academy City, we are fearing he was sent there to kill Kamijou Touma. We will need him if the Roman Catholic Church decides to start a new war.

Styil understood what she was going to say.

-So you want me to go there and find out what he is about to do, I am right?

-Yes, and neutralize him if necessary.

Styil gripped the lighter in his hand. The ones who used to be friends in the past might become enemies in the upcoming days.

* * *

><p>Author note :<p>

-I feel like my chapters are short. Should I write bigger ones or keep doing it like this so I can update more often?

-According to TAMNI wiki "**Durandal** is a magical artifact sword wielded by the maiden of Versailles and said to be connected to the Royal Families of France and England". To those who think my OC is related to it, it is nothing more than a coincidence.

-The event Laura was referring to is the attack on Academy City perpetrated by Vento of the Front.

-I forgot to mention it in the previous parts but the man with a black leather jacket also wears a Christian cross necklace.


	4. unexpected meeting

**To aru noroi no deep blood**

**Chapter 3 : unexpected meeting**

_In a certain high school..._

Charles was waiting for Kamijou in the locker-room, his back leaned against the locker belonging to him. He was looking at the ceiling with his arm crossed and was lost his in thought, when some girls from his classroom suddenly snapped him out of his reflection. One of them frowned at him with a look you would see on someone's face who see his fallen hero. She asked if he was fine since they were worried about him that he had beaten by the "self-proclaimed class representative" with two hits, what was quite a feat if you knew she was able to floor the three of the "baka" trio with a single hit. Fortunately for him, the training he had practiced since he was younger made him tough enough to endure the pain. He just answered her he had seen worse, with a relieved smile, and then he patted her left shoulder with his right gloved hand, thanking her for her concern. After being reassured, the girls left the school. Charles has been told Japanese students were quite excited when they had to greet a foreigner, but he didn't hope it would be that much.

Kamijou arrived just after the girls left. He was panting and some sweat drops were trickling along his temples and forehead. Apparently, there was something he had to do in a hurry.

-Sorry to keep you waiting! said the spiky haired boy as he recovered his normal breath while bending forward and holding up the weight of his upper body with his hands put on his knees. I forgot I was on fatigue duty and had to clean our classroom with Tsuchimikado and Aogami.

-You look like you just ran a marathon, he said slightly surprised. You didn't have to overdo it since it's Friday. I would even have helped you if you asked for it.

-No way I would do this! replied Kamijou as he stood up and waved his hand to emphasize his refusal. For the spiky haired boy, asking for someone's help to fulfill a task he shouldn't have to do was rude.

-Well, it looks like you finished what you had to do here. Are you sure it doesn't bother you to accompany me for a tour? he asked again, a bit embarrassed as this person seemed to be very much in demand.

-I'm fine and besides, I never go back on my words, said Kamijou as he looked his classroom mate in the eyes, stressing his last phrase.

-Someone who never go back on his word... It has become quite unusual these days, whispered the french boy to himself while closing his eyes briefly and removing his back from the closer.

Once Kamijou and Charles took back their belongings stored in their locker, they exited the high school, whose remedial classes had started for students who had difficulties for certain subjects. For once, Kamijou considered he was lucky he didn't have to intend them.

The streets were filled with students from many different schools and grades, each one of them was wearing a uniform representative of the school he was attending to. Seeing a city where the adults were only a minor part of the population was quite unusual for Charles, whose surprise could be seen on his face, although he was trying to hide it. Apart its demography, Academy City would look like any modern city but the thirty years of technology this city had ahead of its time, in comparison with the rest of the world, were amazing for any newcomer. The blond haired boy wasn't an exception to it, as he noticed that the gap between his native country and the new place he would live in was quite big. Kamijou was amused to see his friend's reaction as he had already felt the same way when he had set foot in the city which were the spearhead of science. He massaged his chin with his right hand, while thinking where they should go.

-Is there any kind of place you would like to see first? asked Kamijou as he didn't think about any particular place to go in the first place.

-At first, I'd like to visit a place that mostly gather shops and cafe.

-Then we should go to the 15th district, he paused then said. By the way, Academy city is divided in twenty-three district and if you are planning to visit them, I advice you to avoid going to the 10th district.

-Why?

-Most of the level 0 delinquents are gathered there and they don't really like espers. You see, there is a social cleavage between them and people who don't have any ability. They blame the society for casting them aside and they transfer their hatred to people like you.

Kamijou clenched his right fist as he remembered the last night he had spent to fight Skill-Out and a certain unruly blond haired boy, in order to protect Misaka Misuzu, Misaka Mikoto's mother. Although he was classified as a level 0, he couldn't accept that people without abilities were trampling the lives of others rather than using their strength to help people in need.

Since Charles discovered his ability recently, he wasn't aware such a cleavage could exist in a place representative of a golden age. This revelation made him realize the power he had received was a gift he had to use wisely.

The ambiance suddenly deteriorated and Kamijou tried to find a way to cheer up Charles.

-Let's change the topic! quickly said Kamijou, he paused and thought about what they could talk about. You told me your ability "DNA reader" caused you pain, but it surprises me because espers can usually use their ability without hurting themselves unless something upset them.

-Hmm, how can I explain it? He crossed his arms and closed his eyes during some seconds. Well, when my skin touch someone else skin, I absorb a small fraction of his cells. Then these cells goes to my brain where they are analyzed. Unfortunately, it induces a immune reaction in my body, what leads to the secretion of cellular messengers which cause an inflammation in my head and thus, an headache.

-This sounds quite troublesome, said the spiky haired boy while scratching his head, though he didn't really understand his explanation.

-Don't worry, I can deal with it.

As they walked through the streets of the 15th district, the newcomer cast his eyes over the various shops and cafes, particularly the ones who had goods he couldn't find anywhere else. They walked nearby a park not far away from the Seventh Mist, where a crowd could be seen gathered around a certain spot. However, there wasn't any event announced today here to gather so many people. This unexpected situation aroused Kamijou's curiosity, though he had learned that it was always leading him to troubles. The two boys went toward the crowd.

* * *

><p><em>Some minutes earlier...<em>

Shirai Kuroko teleported on the roof of one the highest building in the 15th district. As she were attaching the straps she used to store her metal spikes around her thighs and her armband at her right sleeve, she contacted Uiharu Kazari via a bluetooth headset she had fixed on her right ear. Uiharu Kazari, a student from Sakugawa middle school with short black hair and a flowers' headband on her hair, was one of the member of the 177th branch of Judgment's office. Despite her weak physique, her skill in computer was unmatched, what was providing a great support to her partner who were on the front line, Shirai Kuroko.

-Where is the aggression occurring? asked Kuroko who was scouting the city from the roof.

-It is located in a park, approximately 300 meters south-east from your position but... Uihara paused as she saw the information on her screen.

-What's wrong, Uiharu-san? asked Kuroko as the odd silence let by Uiharu was ominous.

-The situation has changed and Konori-senpai is heading there, said Uihari as a certain feeling of agitation could be deduced from her tone. You should meet her there!

-Alright, I'm on my way!

Kuroko closed her eyes and calculated the trajectory towards the rendez-vous point, through the 11-space dimension. At the moment a breeze swept the leaves on the roof, she disappeared.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, somewhere else in the same district...<em>

Misaka Mikotowas strolling alone in the streets and was looking for an entertainment as today was an unexpected boring day. She couldn't spend time with her friends as Shirai Kuroko and Uiharu Kazari were working at Judgment's office right now and Saten Ruiko had to attend to remedial class. She tried to entertain herself while reading some mangas at the shop she was used to do it, to the detriment of the shop's owner who expected her to buy some of them one day, but none of the publications of this week interested her. After that, she went to the game center and beat the punching machine several time but the fun time was too short. She took out some gaming tokens and put them into the pocket of her skirt. Albeit she didn't admit it, those random thugs trying to pick a fight with her were missing her. She decided to go to the park were she was used to vandalize a vending machine with high kicks, which was somehow able to stand against a thunder strike of 5 billion volts, in order to get free drinks. As the park was in her sight, she surprised herself to think about the spiky haired boy. She shook her head from side to side as she didn't understand why this thought was here in the first place. When she was in front of the vending machine, she noticed an unusual crowd gathered there. Kuroko suddenly appeared beside her.

-Kuroko? asked the electromaster with a surprised look. I thought you had paper work to do at Judgment's office.

-I' m here to investigate an aggression, Onee-sama. she answered with a serious look on her face she only had when something important was happening.

The two Tokiwadai girls approached the crowd and Misaka caught sight of a familiar face : it was Kamijou Touma. The boy turned his head and noticed her as well.

-Hey! Biribiri! Greeted Kamijou

A lighting stroke above the crowd who ducked, and was dispelled by the Imagine Breaker.

-Don't call me Biribiri! My name is Misaka Mikoto! she shouted with slightly blushed cheeks.

-Oi! I'm sorry but don't use your power recklessly when there are so many people around, apologized the boy while he was looking at his hand that was smoking a bit.

As Misaka and Kuroko went toward him, they noticed he was accompanied by an other person they have never met before.

-Is he an acquaintance of yours? asked Misaka

-He is newcomer in Academy city. Let me introduce...

Before, he could do so, Charles bend over and took Misaka's hand to kiss it.

-Good afternoon. My name is Charles Durandal but you can just call me Charles. It's a pleasure to meet a lady like you. He said as he looked up and winked at her.

-Huh? she said as she removed her hand and pulled a face.

Suddenly, a killing intent aura arose from the twin pig-tails haired girl, who couldn't stand that a man was courting her Onee-sama.

-Hi! My name is Shirai Kuroko, she said with an innocent smile while waving a nail in her hand to threat him. If you intend on "hitting on" Onee-sama, please check with me first.

Kamijou felt a feeling of "déja-vu" when she said those words. Charles looked at the nail.

-Little girls shouldn't play with such dangerous things, he said as he patted her head.

If Kuroko wasn't in her "Protect Onee-sama" mode, she wouldn't mind this affront but it wasn't the case. She put her free hand on the boy's chest and teleported him two meters above the ground, upside down.

-Hey, Kuroko! You're going too far, said the short brown haired girl as she gave a little hit on her head.

But, to the surprise of the three persons who were stuck to the ground, Charles managed to turn over and land on his two feet.

-I will take note of what you said Ms Shirai, he said without animosity towards the teleporter who almost crushed his skull.

She pouted and decided to get back to her duty as she turned back to the crowd.

-Judgment desuno! Please stand aside! shouted Kuroko while showing her insignia

The four students walked through the passage let by the crowd who had parted. There were a dozen of persons lying on the ground, who had bruises and were bleeding from their wounds, and a man curled on himself. At the moment they witnessed the crime scene, an other girl with a Judgment's armband and a first aid kit appeared. It was Konori Mii.

-Ambulances are on their way! she announced as she rushed towards the wounded.

She used her level 3 ability "Clairvoyance", which was a X-ray vision, to check them and administrated them first aid.

-At first it may looks bad, but it seems that whoever did this to them was a professional since none of their vital organs have been touched, she noted then looked at Kuroko. Did you find out any hint about what happened, Shirai-san?

-I just arrived and I didn't start my investigation yet, answered Kuroko

The teleporter looked at the suspicious man and asked him if he knew anything but he didn't say anything, though she snapped her fingers before his eyes to get his attention. Obviously, he was in shock and they wouldn't get any answer from him. Charles took a deep breath and went beside Kuroko.

-Would you mind if i give you a hand? he asked her.

Kuroko, who was a bit embarrassed she overacted some minutes ago, didn't refuse his help. He removed his right glove and pulled a tube with pills inside the pocket of his trouser. He touched the man's face with his right hand and some seconds later, he held his head with his hands and cried out in pain. The three girls got surprised but Kamijou told them it was due to his esper capacity. The suffering boy quickly swallowed one pill and the pain ceased.

-This drug seems to be handy, said Kamijou. What are these?

-These pills contains anti-inflammatory and antibody to inhibit the cellular messengers responsible of the inflammation. They are directly sent to my head via nanomachines but, due to their fast action and short duration, they only work after the pain occurs, explained Charles as he was massaging his temples. I should be able to tell you what this man saw in few hours.

For Kamijou, the only person who could fabricate such an extraordinary remedy was the Frog-faced doctor, Heaven canceler.

-Then, would you mind joining us at our office to make a statement for the time being? asked Konori who tilted her head to the left with a polite smile.

The "DNA reader" boy looked at Kamijou and bowed to apologize. Then he turned back at Konori.

-How would I refuse a proposal made by such a pretty lady? he quickly accepted the request and smiled as it seems that his instinct got over his reason.

-Come with us, Onee-sama! said Kuroko, while pulling her by the arm, as she didn't want her to stay alone with the spiky haired "barbarian" boy.

-But...

-No but, Onee-sama.

After Charles left the park with the girls and the ambulances took the wounded to the hospital, Kamijou sighed and wondered if he and Aogami were blood related.

* * *

><p>Author note :<p>

here we are for chapter 3, I hope I won't be too long for the next one.

P.S : Please, keep reviewing me if you see stupid grammar errors again.


	5. statement at Judgement

**To aru noroi no deep blood**

**Chapter 4 : statement at Judgment**

O_n the second floor of a 5 story building..._

-Uiharu-san! We have a guest, announced Konori.

The door opened and the chief of the 177th Branch of Judgment entered the room, followed by Misaka, Kuroko and then Charles. As he came last in the room filled with many piles of records and boxes and closed the door behind him, a huge pile of paper fell on him.

-What the...

He barely had the time to shout a swearword that he was buried under a thick layer of paperwork. One of the items that was supporting the documents was mysteriously missing and for some unknown reasons, Kuroko had a gleeful smile on her face.

-Are you okay? asked Konori as she was helping the unlucky boy to come back to the surface. I'm really sorry, that's the first time such a thing happens.

Charles emerged from the scattered sheets of paper with a somewhat confused and angry look. But when he saw her embarrassed face, his bad mood instantly disappeared as he didn't want to sadden her.

-Haha! It takes more to knock me senseless. Besides, I'm quite used to encounter this kind of situation, he said as he also mentioned his house was quite messy.

She took his hand and pulled him. Then he helped her and Uiharu, who stood up from her desk, to rank the sheets of paper. Kuroko still had a victorious smile then she suddenly felt a little shock through her body. Apparently, Misaka found out her misdemeanor and decided to warm her.

After the mess was cleaned, both Uiharu and the boy introduced themselves and unlike how he used to do it, he remained calm as he feared an other "unfortunate event" fall upon him. Uiharu prepared some tea for the people who were standing in the crowded room while Konori was debriefing their "witness".

-So you have the ability to know the memories of people with physical contact, right? She asked as a confirmation while she was looking at the data files that were recording all the espers with their power as well as their proficiency in it.

Among the sixty percent of the population of Academy city, the newborn esper was nothing more than a drop in the sea. Uiharu handed a tray which was holding the cups of tea on it. The guests took theirs and then she got back to her work. As he sipped the concoction which was emitting a slight minty smell, a bitter yet mild flavor invaded his palate and he felt a sense of well-being , thus making him forget the problems of the day.

-Thank you, Ms Uiharu! thanked Charles while looking over his shoulder towards his benefactress.

-You're welcome, answered the head-flowered girl with a slight smile that couldn't be seen as she was gazing at her screen.

Then, he turned back to the well-endowed girl and confirmed his status.

-Can you tell us what happened exactly in that park? she asked as she took a tape recorder from the upper drawer of her desk.

He took a seat, closed his eyes and focused.

-Well...

* * *

><p>As the leader of the henchmen, a teenager with spiky green hair wearing a green military outfit with green camouflage designs, ordered the assault, the man with short disheveled red hair who was dressed with blue jeans, a white T-shirt, white shoes and a black leather jacket, took a deep breath and recited a prayer while crossing himself.<p>

-_Holy mother! Please pray for these sinners and pardon your faithful servant, _silently prayed the Christian man. The cross hanging up on his neck emitted a weak halo during a split second.

-Hahaha! Praying won't save your ass, you dum... said one of them who was about to hit him with a telescopic nightstick.

However, he didn't have the time to finish his sentence that he was punched in the jaw by the right man's fist. Nonetheless, this punch was not an ordinary one. When the hit connected, he twisted his fist counterclockwise along with a synchronized rotation of the hips. Both these movements had the effect to transfer his body weight in the fist and thus, increased tenfold its destructive power. Consequently, the poor henchmen was sent flying one meter away, with a broken jaw and some lost teeth in the process. He would need a surgeon indeed a really good one. This amazing blow shook the determination of two others men, who were about to strike with their telescopic nightstick from the sides, during few seconds. Those seconds were enough for the brawler to knock down the one on his right-hand side with a quick and yet heavy jab and then the one behind him with a roundhouse kick to the head.

The leader grinned and sent more men, though some of them began to regret having picked a fight with this guy. This time, two men attacked with metal chains from the sides, aiming at the head. The man with a black leather jacket protected himself by raising his forearms. Thereby, he managed to prevent his head from being smashed. However, both his arms were now immobilized as the chains were entangled around them, like a snake coiling up around his prey. A man decided to take this opportunity and threw a knife at the trapped man's chest. But to the surprise of the gang who thought this would end the fight, the knife didn't stab him but it ricocheted off his jacket with a metallic sound.

Taking advantage of their amazement, he pulled the chain around his left forearm violently, taking its owner with it in the same process. He delivered a powerful backhand fist to the face of the person who was coming at him, which struck him down. Then he used the chain to hit the clavicles of the knife thrower and the chain user. They both lied on the ground, unable to keep fighting.

When the leader finished sending the cannon fodder that the level 0 were, some espers decided to join the brawl. As he was removing the chains, he was hit several times from different directions.

-You may be strong but it's no use if you can't keep up with my speed, said the culprit during a pause between two strikes, who apparently was a speed esper.

If the cocky esper kept quiet, he could have a chance to defeat him. However, this simple sentence was enough to hint him how to get rid of this annoyance. As he swept the small amount of blood that was running down his lips with his hand, he stared at the leaves on the ground of the park. When he saw them being swept by a gust, he gave a low kick worthy of a Muay Thai boxer toward it. The runner screamed with pain, as this hit just broke his leg, and fell on the floor, holding his injured limb as if it would relieve him. The winner looked down at the crying man.

-Speed is nothing if you can't even move, he said before finishing his opponent with a football kick in the face, what resulted in the same injuries as his first victim.

Then, a man made his entrance to the battlefield. He opened the long winter coat he was wearing and revealed a set of eight combat knifes hidden inside it. The knifes began to move around him like bees around a hive. This time, the man who didn't show any sign of weakness yet had to face a telekinesis esper. The esper pointed his index at him and one of the knifes levitating around him swooped on his opponent. The man analyzed its trajectory and leaped to his right. However, at the moment the knife went next to him, its path changed and the blade stabbed his left shoulders. He was surprised and winced in pain as he was bleeding. The esper smirked, proud to succeed where his fallen comrades had failed.

-You can't dodge one of my knife, how about them all?

At the moment he said that, all the remaining knifes stopped above his head and swooped on the man like bees on an intruder threatening the hive. It seemed the battle was about to end but before the expected outcome occurred, the man used his trump card. He unsheathed a Desert Eagle from an holster fastened at his left shoulder and hidden by his leather jacket, which explained why the previous knife thrown at him didn't stab him. The Desert Eagle wasn't an ordinary one as it was customized with a small blade under the barrels and the grip was decorated with a golden cross. With an amazing dexterity, he shot the seven remaining knifes and destroyed them. Since his weapon had just enough bullets inside the clip to get rid of the knifes and he couldn't reload fast enough because of his injured arm, he had not to miss any of them. The man couldn't believe what he saw and before he could counter-attack, he was shot in the shoulder and thus was defeated. His astonishment gave him enough time to reload his handgun with one clip he was keeping in the back pocket of his jeans. The other five henchmen, despite the fact of being humans with psychic powers, decided to run away at the sight of the gun. However, he didn't show any mercy as he shot each of them with one bullet in the legs, preventing them from escaping and so calling for reinforcement, what could have been troublesome as he was starting being exhausted.

The only one left able to keep on fighting was their leader. Unlike his henchmen, he wasn't afraid of the weapon and was keeping his cool. He took a pack of cigarettes from his combat jacket and decided to smoke one of them that he lighted with his fingertip.

-You are quite someone, being able to take on my men all by yourself, he congratulated him as he took a deep breath of nicotine and exhaled a cloud of smoke that he swept with the back of his hand. With all this commotion, I forgot my good manners. I present myself, Takayama Daisuke! Would I have the honor to know the name of the person standing before me? he asked with a tone of voice filled with some respect and a somewhat friendly expression on his face.

The man didn't respond immediately. At first, he removed the knife which was hurting his arm and took some vials stored inside his sports bag. Then he removed his bloodstained jacket, revealing the deep wound on his left shoulder and an arm covered with small stream of blood. He tore up a part of his T-shirt and used it as a bandage after he poured the liquid contained inside one vial over the wound.

-AAAARRGHHHHHHHH!

This act wasn't without any consequence as he screamed with pain while panting and sweating. However, it was worthy since the bleeding was stopped and the man completely recovered the motricity of his left arm. When he finished applying his first aid, he deigned to answer him as he was getting dressed again with his jacket and storing the remaining vials inside its inside pocket.

-I'm sorry but I can't tell you who I am. Now can we stop the discussion, I have important things to do, he said with an annoyed tone of voice as he knew this man wouldn't let him go without a fight.

-How sad! I hoped we could talk a bit before I get rid of you.

When he finished his sentence, his friendly expression changed into a predator look, like the one you could see on the beast who was about to hunt for his prey after many days of fast. As his evil smirk widened, a blurry red aura surrounded him and several fireballs appeared above the palm of his left hand. Before he could attack, the gunslinger aimed at his left shoulder and shot the last munition he had in the clip of his gun. However, the projectile didn't reached its target as it melted when it penetrated the thin layer that was sightly distorting the place around him. He frowned before the turn of the events.

-Hahahaha! Don't think I am as weak as those pathetic level 3 espers. I am a level 4 pyrokinesis and the temperature of my flames can reach 3000K, your toy is useless against me.

He threw all the fireballs at him at once, which were avoided by his opponent with a roll aside. The dodged fireballs hit a cleaning robot that was removing some of trash cans on the ground because of undisciplined students who hadn't deigned to throw them inside a garbage can. The robot melted and some of the leaves scattered in the park caught fire. This could have set a fire if some emergency robots equipped with extinguishers weren't there. Being responsible for an arson or hurting his fallen comrades didn't worry the esper.

-Ah! It looks like you are good at running away, he shouted with an amused smile like a cat playing with a mouse before eating it. Let's try something else!

The man who seemed to be in trouble didn't react to the provocation. His facial expression was serious as he knew that the man standing before him was a real threat. The esper summoned more fireballs which surrounded the gunslinger. Seeing he wouldn't be able to dodge them this time, he quickly grab one of his vial and formed a circle around him with its contents.

-Die!

All of his projectiles swooped on him at once and caused an explosion. The man let out and an evil laugh but this one immediately ceased when he saw that he wasn't dead as the smoke from the explosion disappeared. At this moment, Takayama Daisuke felt doubt and a certain distress but also excitement as, for the first time, he was facing someone able to resist him.

-I don't know how you did but it seems you can parry my attacks. Now be honored to be the first one to succumb to my most powerful one.

He let out a insane burst of laughter as he lost his mind, his wide-eyes were bloodshot. Several fireballs appeared above the palms of his opened hands directed towards the sky and merged above his head, thus creating a gigantic one five times the size of a basketball whether 120 centimeters in diameter more precisely. Before the preparations of his attack were finished, the gunslinger wiped the sweat on his forehead due to the heat and exhaustion with the back of his right hand that was holding his customized Desert Eagle and changed its magazine with an other one he had in the right inside pocket of his jacket. Once the magazine were put inside the grip, a glow emanated from the barrel. The crazy esper finished to create his gigantic fireball and threw it at him, who counter-attacked with a shot towards it. Albeit the Desert Eagle was a handgun designed to have a low recoil with its weight, movement of breech and mechanism of propulsion, the bullet shot made him slide backward and pulverized the psychic one with a sound of a loud detonation.

-WHAT! IT CAN NOT BE! shouted Takayama Daisuke with a wide-open mouth.

His insane and sadistic look disappeared, making way for a scared one. He tried to shoot him with others fireballs as he was moving back but before he could do so, an other enhanced bullet were shot close to his right cheek. The speed of the bullet and the pressure released by it caused a cut and a tear in the eardrum. Due to the loss of balance and painful buzzing in the head, he couldn't use his power anymore and stumbled upon one of the bodies lying on the ground. Now that his last foe was defeated, he sheathed his weapon in the holster and walked toward him while taking out a photo of his jacket...

* * *

><p>-That's it, said Charles as it seems he was waking up from a state of trance.<p>

-Hmm, Takayama Daisuke... mumbled Konori with a thoughtful look. It seems he is the leader of a gang who was extorting money from people recently but since we were lacking in evidence, we couldn't apprehend him, she continued while looking at a report.

Her computer emitted a sound, warning her that she received a mail. She looked at it and a satisfied look appeared on her face.

-This is from Anti-Skill. Thanks to the witnesses who were at the park and the reports they had, they could arrest him.

-It looks like our mysterious intruder did a good action, added Misaka who was leaning against Kuroko's desk with her arms crossed. She was used to deal with thugs before Judgment and Anti-Skill could intervene.

-Although he helped us, we can't let someone armed and dangerous being on the prowl and dealing his own justice in Academy City, said Kuroko, sitting on her chair, to lecture a certain Tokiwadai mid-school girl who sighted in response.

-By the way, you said he showed him a picture, could you tell us who she was ? asked Kuroko, thinking this person might be in great danger.

-I wish I could but he didn't correctly look at it since he was shielding his face with his hands, answered the boy with a disappointed look as he couldn't help to solve this new mystery.

He looked at his watch and got surprised that the time had passed so fast. He stood up and went to the door of the office.

-I'm sorry but I need to go, he said politely with a smile to show he enjoyed their company.

As he was about to open the door, Konori asked him if he would like to join Judgment since his ability would be really useful to solve some cases. He looked over his shoulder and answered he would think about it. Suddenly, a tornado named Saten Ruiko turned up in the room and accidentally smashed Charles' face with the door.

-Hi everyone! Which pan...

Uiharu jumped from her chair and rushed at her, covering her mouth and thus forbade her to finish her sentence. If Charles Darwin was still alive, he would be amazed to see how fast she managed to adapt. Charles massaged his nose and grunted to express the pain.

-Pan...? he said with an intrigued look.

-Pancakes! She meant "Which pancakes do you want to eat today?", quickly replied the head-flowered girl with a forced laugh to hide her embarrassment.

-If you say so... he said, not really convinced by her answer.

Saten, who didn't notice him at first, understood she had hurt him and then she apologized. After they quickly introduced themselves, the boy left the room without a hitch this time. As he went downstairs, he quickly remembered the amazing fight he had seen and felt his heart beat accelerated.

Academy City was definitely different from the rest of the world.

* * *

><p>Author's note :<p>

-Steel's melting point is between 1703K and 1773K

-I have read a TAMNI fanfic where was a pyrokinesis, if the personality of my character seems to be a bit similar to his, I apologize as it wasn't intended (all pyrokinesis are hotblooded after all, right?).

-Please, review me as it could help to avoid the Gary Stu, Mary Sue thingy.


	6. misfortune

**To aru noroi no deep blood**

**Chapter 5 : misfortune**

Stiyl was at the Tower of London after he had taken his leave of Laura Stuart. Now, he had to find a taxi that would lead him to an airport, where he would be able to take a flight to Academy city. As he waved his hand to catch a driver's attention, a black Austin FX4 stopped in front him, what was quite unusual in a world which was constantly modernizing. Indeed, the Austin FX4's production stopped in 1997 and was now replaced by the TX series, which was at its 7th design. The luggage compartment opened itself and Stiyl put a bag containing some clothes. Then, he opened the rear door and settled down in the rear compartment. Despite his tall size, Stiyl didn't have any difficulty to enter in the old vehicle and was quite surprised that it was comfortable. When he closed the door, the driver who was a man that seemed to be close to retirement sightly turned his head.

- London City airport please, announced Stiyl.

The driver switched on his mileometer and carried out his task. Stiyl glanced inside the cab whose scent and state were similar to those you could find in vehicle which were just produced and brought into service. The magician wasn't an automotive expert, but as someone who had studied the ancient arts that the magic was, he was able to value this work of art which seemed it had stop aging with the help of a time spell.

- The maintenance of your car is impressive, Sir. It could be the masterpiece of Beaulieu National _Motor Museum, he said to driver in order __to break the silence._

- Thank you! I have to admit this gem is my pride, he replied while smiling as he met someone who could appreciate something for its historical value rather than its modernism. If you don't mind, may I ask for your name, Sir?

- Stiyl Magnus, he answered. Nevertheless, he didn't turn the question.

- Well, you see Mr Magnus, this cab used to belong to my father when he was a taxi driver and he bequeathed it to me at the moment he had to retire. Since I wasn't really good for long studies and I had some trouble to find a job, I decided to take over.

The driver paused a brief moment and observed his passenger in the rear-view mirror.

- Judging by your clothes, you must be a priest from St. George Cathedral. If you don't mind this question, would you tell me what type of business you have to take care of.

- Just small personal business with a friend at Academy City, he answered without going into details as he sightly frowned to tell him implicitly not to pursue the topic.

- Ah, Academy City! I wish I could save enough money to visit it at least once some day.

The car slowed down and parked at the location reserved for the taxis. Because of the discussion, Stiyl didn't see the time passing. He took out a wallet of his robe.

- How much for the course? he asked him as he opened it and started to take out some money.

- You don't have to. A blonde long haired lady already paid me more than necessary. By the way, she also asked me to give you this plane ticket.

The driver handed a ticket for a supersonic passenger plane going to Academy city. If the archbishop already made all the preparations, this meant that the task he had to carry out was important. He thanked the driver and then headed toward the airport hall with his belongings. However, to his displeasure, the board indicating the different flights showed that his would be reported because of some technical problems. An other possibility for him would be to take a normal plane but a ten-hour flight without being able to smoke would be a living hell. He decided to wait one hour for the check to be finished. Anyway, this would still be faster than taking an other plane since the one designed by Academy city was able to travel from England to Japan within less than two hours. He came out of the airport and lit a cigarette to spend time. As he took his first puff, he remembered the quick questioning he had with a certain prisoner at the Tower of London.

* * *

><p><em>Some minutes ago...<em>

The Tower of London was a well-known tourist attraction in England. However, beyond its tourist interest, it had a darker purpose. In the deepest lower level, there were cells to keep and interrogate the prisoners captured by the Anglican Church through "unpleasant" methods. People imprisoned there would probably not be able to see the sunlight unless their jailer decides otherwise.

Stiyl entered a dark cold room whose atmosphere wasn't pleasant because the moisture and the lack of sunlight. It was possible to hear intermittently the sound of falling drops of water in the corridors, which was remembering of a torture method inherent to China. In this room was standing an unconscious man against a wall whom arms and legs were locked by heavy chains attached to his ankles and wrists. He was wearing a white sacred robe whose whiteness had been sightly tainted by the darkness filling this room.

- Wake up, Busoni!

The prisoner looked up. His pale complexion was showing that he had been restrained there for several days and poorly fed but he had a look of hatred in his eye that was preventing him from collapsing in front of the young magician who was looking at him.

- Is it your stupid mistress who sent you here, Necessarius' dog? shouted Biagio Busoni who pulled the chains that were holding his upper limbs.

Stiyl kept calm before this insult and lit a cigarette he brought to his lips before responding.

- You have not yet accepted your defeat against this pagan, do you?

Biagio clicked his tongue. He was a bishop at the head of 1000 soldiers and yet, he had been defeated by a single boy with a mere punch. Apparently, this remark was enough to make him remember he wasn't in a position to show off his former status.

- Then what do you want from me? asked the bishop with a tone devoid of the aggressiveness he had showed when Stiyl had "greeted" him.

- Can you tell me why the Roman Catholic Church sent Gabriel van Helsing at Academy City?

Biagio raised his eyebrows.

- Hmm, I don't have been informed of his actions recently. The only thing I know about this man is that he is competent in assassination...

Biagio briefly paused as he noticed his anxious look which was revealed by the weak light of his cigarette. Somehow, he felt that Stiyl was concerned and that the person who would be the target of this "assassin" might be one of his acquaintance. A creepy smile appeared on Biagio's face.

-...and his victim already has a foot in the grave, hahaha...

Stiyl didn't let him laugh for too long as he slapped him. His laughing stopped but his grin remained as well as a spark in his eyes which was showing a certain satisfaction. The young magician couldn't believe that a friend, who supported him when he was forced to erase Index's memories, could be a murderer. However, it had been a year that they didn't meet each other because of the strained relationship between the Anglican Protestant and Roman Catholic churches and it didn't exclude the possibility that his friend changed in the meanwhile. Despite the fact that Biagio was a man able to commit atrocities for the glory of the Roman Catholic Church, he had no reason to lie to him as it could lead him to be tortured.

* * *

><p>Stiyl suddenly got a grip on himself as someone jostled him. He wasn't really in a good mood and he showed it without delay.<p>

- Hey! Look...

He was cut short when he turned to face this person. He was a short combed black haired man wearing a black suit, tie and a red shirt. He had oval spectacles that were hiding his eyes and was holding a metal suitcase in his right hand and a PDA in the left one. This set pictured him as an important businessman. Nevertheless, what dumbfounded him was that this man was taller than him and a disturbing aura seemed to be emanating from him, as his spectacles granted him a poker face and his body shaded the sunlight.

- I'm sorry, Sir, said the man as he sightly bowed.

The strong accent in these words led Stiyl to think he was German.

- I am quite late and I didn't notice you when I was checking my PDA.

Talking of being late, Stiyl had a quick glance at his watch. The check should be over and it was time for him to take the plane. He finished to smoke his cigarette and tossed it in the gutter. Then, he went back to the gate where his flight was boarding, trailed by the imposing man who stared at him while he was repositioning his spectacles on his nose.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day was quite unusual for Kamijou Touma as none unfortunate event happened to him, like a predator pouncing upon his prey. However, if he hadn't spent his time daydreaming during the physics class two days ago, what had made his teacher Tsukuyomi Komoe sad and himself the target of "killing intent" glare, he would have learned the general properties of physical laws and his "misfortune" couldn't evade them. As he was heading back from a certain store in the 15th district to his boarding house with groceries he bought within his price range, he was pushed by two kids who were playing tag without paying attention, though the streets weren't packed at this hour.<p>

- Hey! Watch out! shouted Kamijou as he turned back to scold them.

However, they didn't hear him and kept playing their game. The spiky haired boy looked in his grocery bag and sighed in relief when he saw that his "precious" source of proteins was unharmed.

- WAAAHHH!

Unfortunately, it was just a breathing space for the misfortune magnet that Kamijou was. He suddenly did a ridiculous somersault when he made a step forward, like the one you could see in a certain fighting video game. Contrary to the said move, his resulted in a collision between the back of his head and the concrete.

- Damn! What the hell just happened? He asked himself while he was lying on the ground and looking at the sky reddened by the twilight, which was unusual for this season.

He sat up while massaging his aching head and looked for the way that his "nemesis" used for striking him down. His eyes fell on a toy which had apparently been dropped by one of those kids. As the pain became bearable, he noticed the grocery bag he was holding with his right hand wasn't there any more. He turned his head to the right and saw it on the road, just few seconds before a car ran over it.

- NOOOOOOO!

He yelled while he was vainly stretching out his right arm towards his errands. When the vehicle finished his "slaughter", all that remained of his groceries was a pile of unidentifiable stuff that was soaking in a yellow liquid. As he saw that his last savings for the week were wasted, he sunk into despair.

- Fukou da! muttered the unfortunate boy with his knees and hands down on the ground.

- My, my, I will really believe what they told me about you.

The voice came from behind. Kamijou raised his head and looked over his shoulder to see who it was. That person was holding an other grocery bag and his schoolbag in one hand and a manga in the other. He was also wearing the same school uniform and black leather gloves.

- Ah, it's you Charles, droned Kamijou who was still in shock because of his loss. What do you mean by " what they told me about you"?

- Your classmates said that all the bad luck was attracted to you.

- So you noticed it too, sighed the unlucky boy while he was looking back at the ground.

He stood up and flicked off his uniform.

- It seems we'll have to postpone our guided tour, said the spiky haired boy with his lips curved downward as he sightly bowed his head whom he rubbed the back with his hand.

He didn't really want to go back on his word but he wasn't in the mood to do so either.

- Don't worry, I won't blame you for that, answered the other student as he was putting back the manga he was reading inside his grocery bag. Besides, I already noted all the places that would interest me.

Charles observed the face of his classmate who turned back his desperate gaze to the remnants of this dinner, which were washed out by a group of cleaning robots that were pacing up and down the street in search of a task to do. He went behind him and patted his back.

_- Since he helped me, It would be ungrateful if I didn't return him the favor, _he thought. Why not sharing some of these goods? he offered as he took the grocery bag with his free hand and sightly lifted it.

- Wait...

Kamijou suddenly interrupted himself before turning down the offer as the figure of a starving silver haired girl came to his mind. He wasn't really smart for studies but his quick thinking in combat had saved his life many time in the past. This was one of those situations where he had to do a wise choice and as it happened, he had to avoid being "eaten" alive.

- Thank you! he exclaimed as he bowed down to him.

A drop of sweat ran down Charles temple as an awkward smile appeared on his face.

- Now, now, this is just food. There is no need to overdo it.

- Keeping my fridge full has become one of my priority somehow.

Indeed, for this newcomer, it might just be food but for the unlucky boy, it was more of a lifesaver. Kamijou picked up his schoolbag that he dropped earlier when he fell and they headed to his boarding house.

* * *

><p><em>Later, at night, in front of Kamijou's boarding house...<em>

- By the way, I didn't tell you but your supplies might vanish into thin air, said Kamijou as he was taking out his key of his pants' pocket.

- Huh? Let slip his benefactor who just raised his left eyebrow. What do you mean?

Kamijou inserted the keys in the lock and turned it counterclockwise.

- You will find out soon enough, answered Kamijou while he was opening the door leading to the hall of his boarding house.

Both entered the residence and took off their shoes that they put in the small corridor. It was a studio apartment with an open kitchen to the right of the entrance, a living room where there were a bed, a television, a Japanese coffee table, several bookshelves filled with books,mangas and CD and finally a door adjacent to the kitchen which was leading to a bathroom and a laundry room. The sash window of the living room was also leading to a balcony. However, what was quite uncommon was the person who was looking at the television. She was watching "Magical Powered Super Android Girl Kanamin" rebroadcast and apparently, she was absorbed in it since she didn't notice them when they entered the room.

- I see that you are lodging a nun aswell, said the blond haired boy.

A smile, strikingly similar to the one that Aogami had this morning when his teacher had announced a new transfer student, appeared on his face.

- Don't tell me you are into...

Kamijou sighed while he was putting his right hand on his forehead. From the first, he had to be expecting this kind of question.

- This is not what you think and about the reasons why she is here, it's a long story.

Then, he turned his look towards her.

- Hey, Index! Don't be rude and salute our guest.

However, she didn't pay attention as she remained stuck to the screen, although he told her countless times that it was bad for her eyes.

- Never mind! Where should I put the food? asked Charles

Index's body, whose hunger was glossed over by the entertainment provided by the show, suddenly reacted to the F. word and then she stood up and turned around.

- Welcome home, Touma! What did...

She stopped her sentence when she saw the unknown boy.

- Who is he? She asked while tilting her head to the right as she was surprised.

- He is a new friend who is helping me out.

Index walked toward him and greeted him with a warm smile.

- Good evening! My name is Index, pleased to meet you.

- Good evening! My name is Charles and it's also a pleasure for me to meet you, he replied with sincerity before this beaming smile.

When the introduction were done, Index and Charles talked about various topics while Kamijou was preparing the dinner. Index's eyes shined when they talked about her favorite anime in which the boy was surprisingly knowledgeable. When the dinner was done, Kamijou asked Index to help him setting the table.

- Would you mind if I use your bathroom? asked Charles. Keeping these gloves all the time just makes my hand really sweaty.

- Sure, it is the room on your left, answered the spiky haired boy as he pointed at the door.

He opened the door and removed his leather gloves that he put on the left side of the washbowl after he closed the door. As he was scrubbing his hand with the soap, his telephone clock, which was a certain song that won the Best Theme Song at the 2010 Animation Kobe Awards, gave him a start. He wasn't expecting any phone call at this late hour. After he hastily put the bar of soap back on the washbowl and dried his hands with a towel that was hanging on the wall behind him, he picked it up. The phone number displayed on the screen was the one of his parents.

- Can't they take the time difference into account? he sighted while he was putting it on his ear. Hello!

However, there was no answer and only crackling could be heard. He clicked on the red button to stop the call since the noise was becoming unbearable.

- Hmm it seems I don't get any signal here. I think I will call them back later.

Suddenly, as he was about to leave the bathroom, he suddenly slipped on the bar of soap, which was on the floor for unknown reasons, and fell head first. Kamijou and Index heard a loud sound coming from behind the door.

- What was that? asked the nun as she focused her mind on the door.

- I don't know. Can you have a look to see if he is fine? asked in return the spiky haired boy who was in the kitchen and taking the dishes to the coffee table.

Index opened the door and saw the clumsy boy, lying on the ground and massaging his face reddened by the sudden shock with the cold tiled floor. At the sight of this unlikely situation, she couldn't help chuckling at him since this mishap was usually happening to the person behind her. Eventually, she leaned forward to offer him an helping hand. Charles, who was quite knocked out and was seeing some stars spinning around his head, nodded in assent and stretched out his arms towards the nun. As she was about to grab his hand, his eyes opened widely.

_ - Wait a minute, I didn't slip on my gloves..._

Unfortunately, the damage was already done as Index started to pull him up. All of a sudden, he howled with pain, what made Index let go of his hand. She moved back and witnessed the drama while clasping her arms to her breast as a way to overcome the feelings of fear and confusion that were seizing her.

- What's happening, Touma? she asked him as she became alarmed.

Kamijou sighed and calmly went beside her.

- Don't worry, this is...

He was about to say "normal" but it definitely wasn't the case, as the boy with a contorted face started to spit blood, contrary to what he witnessed earlier in the afternoon. Charles felt his strength was failing him and collapsed on the floor. As his sight became dark and blurry, all he could see before he fainted was the spiky haired boy rushing at the phone.

* * *

><p>AN:Due to work, Japan expo (where I found someone cosplayed as Kamijou but didn't take a shot, fukou da), and being short of inspiration, this chapter came quite late. Unfortunately, I'll also have to study for resit so the chance to see a new chapter soon are as high as Kamijou being fortunate during a whole day =/


	7. nightmares

**To aru noroi no deep blood**

I can't believe I did it. Still, this will be the last chapter for this holidays.**  
><strong>

**Chapter 6 : nightmares**

It was a certain dawn. A girl with long straight black hair and dressed with a short loose white dress was wandering barefoot along a mountain slope. The shafts of morning sunlight were wrapping the sky in a crimson veil and a chill wind was rising, rustling the leaves of the trees that were overhanging the valley and lifting her hair. Though this gentle breeze was invigorating and would make anyone smile with relief, her look remained sad as the scenery before her was nothing more than desolation.

Before her were lying tens of lifeless corpses recovered by dust and ashes. Their faces, contorted with fear, used to show happiness before this night that doomed this remote place whose days were peaceful and simple. As some dust was windswept, the girl slowly closed her eyes.

-I'm sorry, she whispered as she hoped to hear an answer to comfort her.

The only answer she could get was the whistle of the wind telling her that she was the only living being in the vicinity of this ghost town. She sighed and opened her eyes. As she ventured deeper into the footpaths of this lost village, a glimmer coming from the woods caught her attention. She stared at its twinkle an instant and headed towards it, like a moth being attracted to the red glow of a wood fire during a summer night.

The reassuring rays of the sun gradually disappeared as she walked along the path running into the forest, whose trees' foliage was impervious to sunlight. Strange shapes, looking vaguely like human beings, were whispering, lurked in the dim light. The further she walked into the forest the gloomier it became. Usually, people lost in such a dark and creepy place would panic and try to get back to the civilization but she remained calm, walking serenely towards the light which seemed to be calling her.

Suddenly, the girl stopped walking as the hum of conversation ceased. Only remained the twinkle, preventing her from being entirely swallowed by the darkness. She looked behind her a moment and noticed it was completely pitch-black as the sunlight on the threshold of the woods was no more visible. She breathed deeply and decided to keep going.

As she took a step forward when her eyes became used to the dark, she could distinguish the shape of a certain house. It was an abandoned wooden hut with a shed nearby. The swing-chair hanging at the entrance was swinging despite the absence of wind and the slams of the heavy shutters against the walls were resounding like heart beats, giving the impression that this hut was a wild beast lurking in the depth of the forest. This feeling was strengthened by the fog that was leaking from the little gap under the door.

After observing the environs a brief moment, she noticed that the light, which had been dragging her, was coming from within the house as it could be seen emanating from the same place as the fog. The girl climbed the small stair that was creaking at each step and moved her hand to the doorknob. As she touched it, the slams of the shutter and the swings of the swing-chair ceased. She took a last breath and gulped some saliva before turning it. When the door opened, the girl shielded her face with her free hand and closed her eyes as she was suddenly blinded by a bright light.

When she reopened her eyes, the girl found out that she wasn't in the forest anymore. The place where she was now was a narrow dark alley. Detonations could be heard from afar there was a certain smell of burning. Though the surroundings changed, some elements remained the same : a crimson sky could be seen in the narrow gap between the top of these buildings and an ominous atmosphere was hanging in the air. The girl walked along the wall at her left with her hand, taking care not to trip over the garbage littering the path.

The alley leaded to a main street whose various shops and restaurants looked familiar to her. She could say she was in the 15th district of Academy City were it not for the debris, shard and scrap scattered all around the street, as if this place which was once lively was now a battlefield you were used to see on television report. She wandered in the city, seeking a friendly face. Her way through the smoldering wreckage was not easy since she wasn't wearing shoes but she eventually reached the precincts of a certain high school.

Out of the blue, she heard a bloodcurdling scream coming from the courtyard of the establishment. She ran to the entrance and stopped short as she was rooted to the spot with fear. Before her were lying many dead teenage students in a thick pool of blood. Their bodies were severely slashed or even dismembered. The way they had been killed was showing nothing else than sadism.

Suddenly, a window at the 3rd floor was shattered and something or rather someone was defenestrated. It made a snap as it fell flat on its face. The girl braced herself and came closer to the broken and dislocated corpse. Her heart was tightening at each step and she could feel a lump in her throat. The closer she was, the shorter was her breath. She hesitantly put her hand on its shoulder and turned it over on its back.

She couldn't help but cover her mouth with her hands as her eyes rolled in fright. He was a boy disfigured by many gashes and there was an open hole on his chest where his heart used to be. The only hint she could get to identify him was his certain haircut. Before this nauseating sight, tears flowed down her face.

-How could this be happening? she said in a tearful voice

All of sudden, she heard someone coming from behind. Shudders ran through her spine as the sound of the footsteps became louder. She turned around and saw that someone was lurking in the shade. The sinister person slowly emerged from the shadow. She was wearing a black tuxedo with a clock on her shoulders. Drops of blood were trickling down her tainted hands. She was wearing a evil grin, enjoying the slaughter she had committed.

The girl stepped back and stared in horror as she recognized the murderer.

-**NOOOOOOOOO...**

* * *

><p><strong> -...OOOOOOOO!<strong>

Himegami Aisa suddenly howled with terror as she woke up with a jerk. Sweat was pouring down her face and her breath was erratic. She glanced at her surroundings as she got her wind back. In spite of being in the dark, she could see the furnishings which were taking up the room. At her right, there were a wooden chair and a desk with 3 drawers, which was facing a window equipped with opaque curtains. Several textbooks were stacked up on it as well as some pencils. There were a built-in shelves with books and a closet containing clothes in the right wall. In front of her, there was the main door at the end of small corridor which was leading to the bathroom.

-It, it was just a dream! she said as she looked at her trembling hands. But it felt so real.

She took off the soaked blanket of her bed and sighed. Sometimes, nightmares relative to this night haunted her dreams but this one was different as none of them had turned so dreadful. Though Academy City's calamity never happened, she still had the feeling of the cold blood sticking to her skin. She curled up and sulked as she couldn't sleep. This was one of those nights she deeply regretted what she had done.

Kamijou Touma, who was lying down in the bathtub, couldn't sleep either. The reason wasn't that the bathtub was too small and thus uncomfortable, as he got used to sleep there since Index took possession of his only suitable bed. The reason why he couldn't sleep was that he was thinking about what happened some hours ago.

* * *

><p>-Hmm... mumbled a doctor as he examined a X-ray under the light of a neon, seated on a swivel chair .<p>

He was a bald-headed old man with few gray hair forming a crown around his head, wearing a white coat with a stethoscope hanging on his neck. Because of his face, many people nicknamed him the "Frog-faced doctor" but his unmatched competence in medicine granted him the one of "Heaven Canceller". He put back down the radiograph on his desk and left his office.

Meanwhile, both teenagers were in the waiting room, expecting for news of Charles.

-Don't look so downhearted, said Kamijou with a soft voice.

-But...

Seated on a white metallic bench leaning against the wall, she was lost for words and despondent, looking at the floor as she was nervously twiddling her thumbs. Though Kamijou already explained her what happened, guiltiness was still filling her heart.

-I'm sure sure he's okay now.

He paused and thought about what he could say to comfort her. What came to his mind were hazy recollection of his many hospitalizations.

-You know, I have spent enough time here to tell you the one who is taking care of him is surely the best doctor ever, he added with a sightly embarrassed smile.

The nun glared at him with a scowl. Of all the things he could say, reminding her the pitiful state he was used to be every time he was involved in a conflict was definitely not the wisest one. Noticing he just made a gaffe, the spiky haired boy gulped as a drop of sweat ran down his cheek.

-Sorry, Index! I didn't mean! he said as he instinctively crossed his before his face, fearing for the "biting" punishment she was inflicting on him when she was upset.

However, her mood didn't change like he thought since he wasn't bitten and she looked more depressed. Kamijou gave a sigh and banged his head against a wall as a punishment for his gaffe. Seeing her like this was making him feel ill at ease and thus, he opted for a simpler method.

-Here, this should relax you a bit, he said as he sat on the bench and offered her a hot chocolate he bought in the vending machine that was standing nearby.

She accepted it and looked deeply into the soothing drink before taking a sip. Kamijou gently patted her on the head with a thoughtful look. Most of the time,she blamed him for being stupid but she couldn't deny his honesty and kindness either. In response to his kindliness, she laid her head on his shoulder and her lips sightly curved upward as the warmth of the boy made her feel better.

Out of the blue, Heaven Canceller showed up in the waiting room with a firm step.

-Sorry to keep waiting, I have news about the state of your friend, announced Heaven Canceller. I'm quite surprised that the side-effect of his ability blew out of all proportions, he said thoughtfully. If he had arrived a few minutes later, he might have succumbed to a cerebral haemorrhage.

Index rushed at him like a jack-in-the-box.

-Will he pull through? she asked with a worried face.

He looked back at her with a satisfied smile.

-Who do you think I am? He is absolutely out of danger and he just needs some rest. However...

He paused as his face displayed some incomprehension.

-...I wonder what could put him in this state. It didn't happen during the battery of tests he had here. Would you have an idea? he asked them.

The spiky haired boy indeed have an idea as he had already saw this case once. It was back when a magician had kidnapped Index and had tried to get access to a grimoire sealed inside her. Adding the fact that magic and psychic abilities couldn't inhabit the same body without destroying it, the response was obvious. However, he didn't want anyone of the science side to be aware of the existence of the magic and thus, he decided to remain quiet on the subject.

-I don't know, answered Kamijou with a blank face as he patted Index's shoulder.

She understood what that gesture meant and adhered to his thought.

-Me either, she answered consequently.

The boy's right hand twitched when their eyes met. For a split second, he hoped for the Frog-faced doctor not to discuss this subject at any greater length.

-Never mind, said the doctor with his usual tone.

Deep inside, Kamijou sighed with relief though his face remained the same to avoid any suspicion.

-Anyway, it's late and you should go back home, said the elder one as he looked at the clock hanging on the wall. I'll call you when he will regain his consciousness.

They nodded and then left the hospital. As they got into the taxi that Heaven Canceller paid for them since the streets were insecure because of the thugs hanging around at this late hour, Index looked at Kamijou with a regretful face.

-Are you sure it was right to lie to him? she asked him.

-I think it's better this way, he answered though he wonder if it really was the good choice.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, in the basement of Anti-Skill detention center...<em>

A tall bearded man, equipped with a swat armor, a Colt M1911 and a SIG SG 551 SWAT, was walking in a large white corridor whose silence was broken by the sounds of his footsteps. At the end of this corridor lined with several thick doors, there was an other one, wearing the same equipment, who was

standing guard in front of one these said doors. He was shaved and one head shorter.

-Oi, Kid! Sorry but I really needed to relieve my bladder. I hope you didn't miss me, said the bearded man with a small mocking tone as he was walking toward his partner with a relaxed gait.

A cross shaped vein appeared on his temple when the man mentioned the nickname.

-Hey! Don't call me Kid! immediately answered the youngster with an irritated tone.

-There is no need to flare up, Kid. Besides, I never had a good memory for names so I'm used to give nicknames, said the bearded man with a dumb face as he was scratching the back of his head.

Some steam spouted from the shaved man's ears and nostrils as his cheeks inflated. Resigned, he facepalmed and sighed.

-Whatever, Boss...

The bearded man know as "Boss" sat on a chair next to a table which was standing nearby the guarded door.

-So, who is our guest again?

Kid flicked through the folder that was on the table and read aloud.

-Takayama Daisuke, pyrokinesis level 4, under arrest for racketeering, destruction of public properties, mugging and so on.

Boss whistled with admiration as he heard the curriculum vitae.

-My, my! All those kids with psychic powers really need to show off nowadays, don't they?

He stood up and positioned himself before the door.

-How is our royal Majesty? teased Boss as he looked through the small square window of the door.

Inside the jail that was only illuminated by a small bulb, Takayama Daisuke was absolutely furious because of the bitter taste of defeat. He didn't understand how, he and his men, could have been defeated by a single man. His fury reached its peak when the image of the said man who was looking down on him went through his mind. He had begged for his life and the gunslinger had spared him but he felt this humiliation as a fate worse than death.

-Hey! Answer when we call you, Idiot! shouted Boss as he kicked the door.

-SHUT UP! YOU MISEARRGGGGHHH!

Takayama Daisuke held his head and was doubled up in pain as he tried to blast the door with a fireball. The attempt to make his jailer shut up could only fail since the room was filled with fire detectors connected to the effective anti-esper device "Capacity Down". The teasing man burst out laughing and his partner looked at him with an exasperated look.

-Hey, you shouldn't piss him off! What will happen if he escapes from the cell!

-Relax, Kid! We can see that you are newbie here. This installations are designed to prevent the espers from going out or coming in. Beside, it would be deadly boring if we couldn't divert ourselves occasionally during our turns of duty.

-Are you really an Anti-Skill officer? asked the youngster with a dubious look as he wondered for a split second how someone like him could be enlisted by Anti-Skill.

Boss laughed. He used to be a mercenary before he decided to lead a quiet life, though some people would wonder if _quiet _and _Anti-Skill _were words that could match. The few scars on his face were like his medals, proving that he was a toughened warrior and despite his nonchalant attitude, there was no doubt you could rely on him if the situation had to worsen.

He took out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to the youngster. He waved it aside politely.

-No thanks, I don't smoke. Beside I don't think it is allowed to smoke here, lectured Kid.

-Well, it's not like someone would come here and scold us at this late hour, he said before he paused to puff some nicotine. Anyways, I would advice you not to start doing it or you might end up worsening your health. After all, you are young and unlike me, you have your whole life in front of you.

-Don't say it like you would die tom...

Suddenly, the light of the corridor switched off.

-Wow! What the hell is that? he let slip in a moment of panic.

-Ah! It seems we have a power failure, he said with a calm tone in contradiction with the one of his younger partner.

BOOM!

A loud detonation burst forth in the room and made the newbie jump with a shriek of fright.

-Hahaha! Don't worry, Kid! Even if the Capacity Down is not working, there is not way he can blow up that door. Even an antitank missile wouldn't scratch it, he said as he stubbed his cigarette out. If you don't lessen the strain on yourself, you won't be long for this world.

-...

Boss frowned as this silence was abnormal and thus took a fighting stance. With the many years he had spent on the battlefield, he had developed an instinct to sense any hostile presence. Even until now, it didn't betray him as he vaguely saw a figure assaulting him when his eyes got sightly used to the dark. Not able to avoid it, he raised his weapon as a shield. The unknown weapon of his assailant clashed with his, broking it apart.

Though the former mercenary was hurled to the ground because of the sudden impact, he used the momentum to roll backward and stand up. A huge pain went through his body like he had been hit by a truck. Since he couldn't take the risk to fire blindly with his handgun and get hurt by a ricochet, he decided to fight in close combat.

-IDENTIFY YOURSELF! he shouted as a threat.

No answer. The assailant dealt him a series of strike aiming for his vitals, which he barely managed to parry with his forearms as he shifted into a Mike Tyson's guard style. He couldn't see what weapon his opponent was using but judging by the whistle of the air, the impact felt at each hit and their speed, he could deduce it was a short sharp one. Were it not for the efficient protection provided by his Anti Skill gears, he would have passed away before the violence of the blows which were inflicting a tremendous pain.

-_Who the hell is that guy? What is he up to? Is he using night vision goggles?..._

His head was a jumble of questions as he fought for his life but he was certain of one thing : his strength was outstanding and he could perfectly see him in the dark. Though the situation seemed desperate, he knew he had to keep his cool if he wanted to make it through. After a few seconds past to be manhandled like a sandbag, he noticed something. It seems the assailant was attacking with a definite pattern since the blows were hit hitting the same part of his body every five seconds.

When the moment the strike supposed to hit his head came, he bent backwards and, with all his remaining strength, countered with a front high kick where his head should be. The sound of broken glasses and a thud echoed in the corridor. He had tried his luck and it was crowned with success. He sighed with relief.

-Quite impressive, said someone from behind with a deep voice.

Boss got the shivers. There was no way that someone could stand up so fast after being hit like he did. He quickly turned around to defend himself but the assailant strangled him and flatted him against the wall. His feet were not touching the floor anymore.

-By the way, I'm not using any night vision device, said the intruder.

-_What the fuck! How can this guy know what I've been thinking about? Is he… _he thought as the pressure on his throat was too strong to let him talk.

-...an esper? Sorry for disappointing you but I am not.

-_Damn this bastard can read my thoughts and he was toying with me all this time._

-It was funny but playtime is over.

The last thing he could see as he was losing consciousness was a pair of glowing red eyes.

* * *

><p>-Grr... grunted Takayama Daisuke as he failed an other attempt to blast the door of his cell.<p>

-You seek power and revenge,don't you?

The esper jumped. Because of the din he did early, he didn't ear anything about the commotion that was going on outside.

-Who are you? How did you get here? he shouted as he lit up the room with a flame.

Before him was standing a tall man with short black hair who was dressed with a black suit, tie and a red shirt. He noticed that one of his lenses was shattered.

-I can grant you both, continued the strange man as he changed his broken spectacles with an other pair he took out of his suit.

-You didn't even give me your name so why should I trust you? replied Daisuke.

-Apologize my bad manners, my name is Johannes Bauer, he said as he bowed.

-I guess I will have to do you a favour if you help me to escape.

Bauer sightly lifted the spectacles on his nose.

-Well, I will do whatever you want if you can get me out of this squalid hole. Beside, the idea to become stronger and make this asshole suffer tempts me, he said with a grin.

-Then, I will need you to turn of that flame, he ordered as he turned back to the door.

As soon as he complied with his order, he heard strange words in a language impossible to understand and the door was opened from the outside few seconds later. When they were finally outside the building, Daisuke took a deep breath and stretched out since being jailed in a narrow room for a whole day was a torture for him. After this invigorating moment, turned towards the mysterious man.

-By the way, I don't want to disappoint you but it will be quite troublesome if they find out that I escaped.

-You won't have to worry, I already made preparations for that.

-Then what do I have to do?

Bauer slowly got close to whisper on his ear. Daisuke's eyes widened with surprise.

-Now, go and don't disappoint me! He said as he gave him a card with a strange symbol drawn on it. With this we can remain in touch with each other.

The esper frowned as he didn't understand what he could do with this sheet of paper. When he was out of his sight, Bauer took an other card similar to the one he previously gave to his new accomplice, which glowed as he focused.

-_Everything goes according to your plan, Master..._

* * *

><p>AN: few things i noticed

-the way you pronounce "Charles" in japanese is "shar-ru"

-usually, overseas student attend school in the 14th district but since my OC has dual nationality, he was allowed to go in the 7th one.


	8. trapped

**Trapped**

A new dawn rose above Academy city.

Awaken by the sound of the television, Kamijo got up, worn out. Somehow worried about his friend, he spent a sleepless night despite the fact he knew that his fate was in the hands of the most talented he ever met (too many times to his liking).

He looked at himself in the mirror and noticed dark rings under his eyes. The lack of sleep didn't spare him. He rinsed his face and then decided to prepare a coffee to counterbalance his weariness.

-Hello, Index.

-...

Engrossed by the different broadcasting she was scrolling, the nun didn't reply his greetings.

Kamijou frowned. He didn't really appreciate to be ignored that way.

-_Nevermind, I suppose she will react if I start making something to eat, _he thought as he scratched his head.

However, because of his yesterday's mishap, he had to content himself with what he had left, unless he used what Charles left here. He was none too pleased to get into debt but he didn't really have the choice.

As he opened the fridge, he saw that yesterday's leftovers had already been eaten as well as the others groceries his friends dropped off.

-Such misfortune, he sighed.

Index turned back.

-Hello, Touma.

She noticed he didn't look very well.

-Sleepless night?

-Yeah, kinda, he answered while yawning.

As for herself, it didn't seem she had any problem with insomnia. Too bad for the spiky haired boy, it seems he had more success to relieve her than himself.

-By the way, the boy with sunglasses asked me to give you this message while you were sleeping.

She pointed at a sheet of paper put on the coffee table, then went back to his previous activity.

He frowned and picked it up. By experience, he knew that were was something fishy when Tsuchimikado acted this way.

_Yo, Kami-yan!_

_When you have finished sleeping, meet me at the underground shopping mall around 1 pm._

_There are some business we need to talk about._

Annoyed by the sporadic sound of the television, he turned toward Index.

-Hey! Can you stop scrolling so fast please? It starts getting on my nerves.

-But I'm bored, she replied. There is nothing interesting at the moment.

-Then, give me that remote!

-No!

-For God's sake! For someone who can't even use a microwave accurately, I find that you got into bad habits. By dint of stuffing yourself and watching TV, you'll become fat for sure (and ruin me!).

Index abruptly stood up and gnashed.

-Don't swear with the name of the lord! Besides, a brain like mine just needs a lot of food to work properly but it's not something someone like you can understand! She said, sticking out her chest with pride.

-Speak for yourself! You will just become stupid if you keep going on like this, he snapped back.

This comment definitely pissed her off.

-Stupid Touma!

-Give me that remote, you...

CHOMP!

-Argh!

The nun hurled at him and bit him as he took the remote.

The boy struggled, in vain. He couldn't free himself from her grasp.

Incapable of loosening his fingers on the channels buttons, the different broadcasting kept scrolling. The assault ended when the TV showed a certain transmission which called her attention. It was a weather report announcing something unusual.

-A lunar eclipse, she repeated to herself with a pensive look and patting her chin with a finger.

-Now what?

He rushed to the kitchen so he could soothe the pain with cold water.

The nun put her hands on her hips and looked cheerful. If there was one thing his protector couldn't deny, it was her knowledge of 103,000 books of magic spells.

-Did you know that eclipses, earthquakes and so on used to be considered like divine manifestations. For instance, the Mayas, who thought that solar eclipses were a punishment from Huitzilopochtli, used to practice human sacrifices to worship him. On the other hand, occult arts like astrology were using the positions of the stars to predict the future...

-Sorry but this kind of things is not to my liking, he interrupted her.

-Then, stay stupid! She puffed.

Index turned back and sulked.

The spiky haired boy sighed. He didn't really want to offend her. It's just that he wouldn't have been able to keep up the pace with this conversation.

Knowing that the talking wouldn't go further, he decided to grab his jacket and to meet Tsuchimikado.

* * *

><p><em>Some moments earlier, in Konori's apartment...<em>

Kamijou wasn't the only unfortunate person who spent a sleepless night. For her part, the chief of the 177th branch office stayed up late to finish off as much dossiers as she could.

Since the awakening was tough, she decided to take something to buck her up.

Thus, dressed with a long-sleeved white shirt, she went toward the kitchen. She opened the fridge and took a bottle of Musashino milk.

_ -_Hi, Mii! Greeted a girl with long brown hair

-Oh! Hi, Aomi.

Still in a daze, she didn't notice the presence of her roommate, Yanagisako Aomi, who was drinking a coffee, sat on a chair.

-I didn't hear you coming back home yesterday, said the well-endowed girl.

-I came back late. I didn't want to wake you up so I didn't make noise though I didn't expect you to work at this hour.

Konori sipped her milk and sat on a nearby chair.

-Yeah! With all the commotion that happened recently, I haven't got a minute to myself, she said with a yawn.

-Kinda tough to work at at 177th branch, isn't it?

Aomi somehow looked amused. Konori frowned.

-I point you out that you are also working at the 177th branch, she said with an exasperated tone. You could help me out a bit instead of spending all your time with your boyfriend.

Aomi giggled at what seems to be a hint of jealousy. However, her smile gradually disappeared and her face displayed concern.

-Is is true what happened yesterday in the park nearby the Seventh Mist?

-You mean the arrest of the delinquents group, do you?

The girl nodded.

-Yes, It is, confirmed Konori.

The long brown haired girl stood up and walked to the window, drinking her coffee.

-Don't tell me that there was one of your former boyfriends there, said Konori. with a mocking tone.

Surprised, Aomi jumped, almost choking herself on her drink.

-What the hell are you talking about? It has nothing to do with my love life, she snapped back, trying to get her breath back.

-Just kidding, she reassured. But seriously, were there anyone you know among them?

Her roommate clamped the cup in her hands.

-Takayama Daisuke. We used to attend at the same school but he disappeared overnight...

She paused.

-... how could someone like him, who was always involved in his activities like Judgment, drop out everything without a hint?

-Judgment!? Konori let slip, surprised.

-Yes, he was assigned at the 136th Branch.

-Who knows! Maybe there was something he could deal with and he needed to stand back.

-You may be right. After all, you've been through that too, said Aomi, somehow relieved.

The short black haired girl smiled as she remembered that time. She had been a member of Big Spider and she enjoyed every moment spent with them.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the ambiguous look that Aomi was giving her.

-By the way, any news of your love's interest? What was his name already? Kurosawa? Kurosaki? teased the long brown haired girl.

Konori blushed.

-That's Kurozuma! she instinctively cried out.

Noticing she betrayed herself, she blushed even more which encouraged Aomi to continue her teasing.

-Oh my! You're so cute when you make a face like that.

-Stop that, will you?

* * *

><p>On his way, Kamijo noted that the information given by Tsuchimikado were too vague. Maybe he would contact him later by phone once he would be there. After all, that was the way he always acted : revealing a minimum of information and this only in due time.<p>

Being aware of that fact didn't make him feel comfortable. On the contrary, he had the feeling that he was just a pawn in the midst of a vast conspiracy.

The spiky haired boy finally arrived at the entrance of the underground shopping mall, where he took a look at his cellphone to check what time it was.

12.15pm

Since he arrived earlier, he wondered what he could do to waste his time. He searched for money into his pockets and just found a coin of 100 yens. He didn't expect to find an hidden treasure but at least enough to pay a meal. He had also forgotten his credit card at home.

-Better than nothing, he sighed.

It never rains but it pours. A young girl accidentally bumped into him from behind, making him drop his unique coin at the bottom of the stairs, behind a vending machine.

The girl, a bit worried, apologized. Though, the boy reassured her, saying it wasn't that bad. Then she left.

The only thing he could now was to try getting it back. He tried to move the vending machine apart from the wall as much as he could then stretched out his arm to pick it. Unsuccessfully, the only thing he could grab was just a dusty paper... which appeared to be a bill of 5000 yens.

Kamijo's eyes opened wide. He didn't even care to find out how it could have ended up there. Lucky times were too rare lately, no need to waste them.

-Yes! he cried out, squeezing his booty.

His stomach rumbled, what made him opt for a fast food restaurant as he didn't have much time left.

As he entered the nearby one, he saw Himegami, sat at a table and looking at the people that were strolling in the gallery through the window. He came up to her to salute her.

She turned around as the boy called her out. Her expression, usually calm and offhand, somehow became pale as she saw him before she turned back her head.

-Err... hello, he greeted, hesitant.

Wondering if he had said or done anything that could have upset her, he decided not to bother her any longer.

He stepped back and suddenly bumped into something.

-Hey! Watch out where you walk, you moron! Yelled out the person behind him.

Kamijo slowly turned back and understood he had spilled his tray. Not only he was taller than him and pissed off but he had also some buddies with him. The spiky haired boy gulped. They didn't seem to be the kind of people to settle quarrels peacefully.

He apologized with a bow, hoping it would work.

A vein popped on his temper.

-You think that's gonna be enough! You messed up my clothes.

Out of the blue, Kamijo was hit by a right hook in the jaw, which literally made him do an about-face. His head bumped into something soft as he fell.

-Would you tell me what the hell you think you are doing?

The unfortunate one lifted his head and noticed it was Fukiyose or more precisely her breast.

-Hmm, you see... it's just that... he tried to explain clumsily.

SLAP!

This time, he was violently hit by a slap in the face which knocked him out. The group of thugs burst out laughing before that ridiculous scene and decided then to leave the restaurant, satisfied.

Few minutes later, Kamijo woke up, laid on a bench with Himegami sat by his side.

-Are you okay? she asked.

-I've been through worse, he answered while massaging his aching cheek.

The "iron wall" didn't pull her punches as the red mark of her hand was still visible on his face. He sat up.

-It seemed you wanted to avoid me earlier. Did I do or said anything wrong to you?

-No. It's just that I spent an awful night, she replied with an embarrassed tone.

-You too? he carried on.

Those words encouraged her to keep talking.

-You might think it's absurd but I had a nightmare. A nightmare where I was killing you with my own hands...

Remembering it, her body shuddered. Kamijo scratched the back of his head, not really sure about what he could say. He put his right hand on her shoulder.

-Whatever! It was just a bad dream. Once, I dreamed I ended up naked in public and yet...

The girl could resist to giggle with the stupidity of that answer. Well, at least, she was less anxious now.

-Thanks for cheering me up.

-You're wel...

Suddenly, the two teenagers noticed that the gallery, which was packed with people, was now empty.

-What the...

Abruptly, they were in total darkness. It only lasted an instant because the emergency neon quickly took over from this power cut. It was giving them enough visibility to move around in the dim light.

The holder of Imagine breaker clenched his fists. This feeling of isolation, unusual silence... this was the work of a magician.

The girl held his right arm. He supposed she hadn't been affected by that spell because she had been in contact with his right hand.

They heard the sound of steps getting closer to their position. Unsure of the intentions of that person, they decided to hide behind a nearby pastry tasting booth. They observed the mysterious silhouette from their hideout. It was a short disheveled red haired man with a black leather jacket. Kamijo noticed the christian cross hanging around his neck, which confirmed his suspicion.

Obviously, the man was alone and looking for something or someone. According to the last warning from Aqua of the Back, the odds are that he was here for him. Kamijo looked at his friend. Alone, he could try to get rid of him but he didn't want to involve her in a fight that could worsen.

He had to make a diversion so that she could escape.

-Listen! I'll catch his attention. When it will be the opportune moment, you will escape, he whispered.

-What about you? she asked, afraid he was about to act to recklessly.

-Don't worry! I'll catch you up later.

Himegami nodded.

The man who was standing in the middle of the gallery clasped his cross to his chest and focused.

-Holy Mother! Hear the prayer of your servant and...

He didn't have time to finish his incantation. Taking advantage of this instant, Kamijou had sneaked behind him to throw him a wooden chair to his head. His opponent immediately countered by smashing it into pieces with a backhand blow and he quickly drew his weapon.

He was then surprised as he saw the boy.

-Who are you? Where is she?

Although he was surprised, Kamijou kept a poker face as he quickly understood that the magician wasn't looking for him but for her. However, the reasons why he needed to find her remained obscure.

-I don't see who you are talking about.

-You can't fool me. If you have been able to elude _opila_, then you are related to the magic and since I know she is here, I am absolutely certain that you have met her.

-Shit!

He failed at luring him but decided not to divulge where she was. Decided to make him admit, he aimed at his right shoulder and shot. Instinctively, Kamijo raised his arm and used his hand as a shield. The bullet crumbled as soon as it touched his hand and the sound of a shattering mirror resounded.

-!

Taking advantage of the surprise, the spiky haired boy threw himself at him and attacked with his left fist. The man easily grabbed it with his free hand and tightened up his grasp.

-Ack!

Kamijo gritted his teeth under the pain. The man tightened again his grasp, forcing him to bend.

However, he didn't give up. With all his strength, he pushed on his legs and retaliated with a right hook.

CRACK!

The sound of a shattering mirror resounded again.

He managed to cancel the enchantment giving him that huge strength but at the cost of his right hand. Indeed, his opponent had anticipated his attacked and thus countered his fist with his forehand.

Kamijo freed himself and tried to space out in order to recover but the magician struck him with a spinning back kick in the abdomen, which took his breath away an instant. Kamijo was hurled to the ground, unable to stand up.

As both of them were occupied with the fight, Himegami decided to try her luck as planned. But, the man felt her presence and aimed at her.

-Holy shit! Aisa, watch out! he barely cried out, still suffering from the heel he received in the abdomen.

BLAM!

The echo of the shot burst forth in the mall but it wasn't the one expected as the gun of the magician had been thrown out by another fire. Surprised they looked in direction from where the shooting came.

An other shape, lurking in the shadow,came closer.

* * *

><p>Now some notes:<p>

-Huitzilopochtli is the aztec god of war and sun

-_opila_ is the name of the spell used to create an empty space an isolate chosen individuals within the vicinity where the cards are applied.

As you can see, I didn't give up this. It's just that I am lazy and when you consider that english is not my native language, it can take a very long time before I release a new chapter.


	9. underground fight

To aru noroi no deep blood

**Chapter 8: Underground fight**

The sound of footsteps became louder and soon, both could see the features of the newcomer. It was a blond youngster dressed with a winter uniform from a certain high school. In spite of the sudden help which came at a convenient time for the teenagers, it was more astonishment that struck them rather than relief, though it was less noticeable on the girl's face. Not only the area should be desert right now, but to be helped by someone able to aim with a gun while wearing his sunglasses in a pitch black underground...

- Tsuchikamado! Exclaimed Kamijou as he recovered his breath from the kick.

He was still gasping a bit because of the pain, but he was able to stand up with the help of Aisa, who put her arm under his shoulder to pull him up. With a slight gesture, the double agent motioned them to move aside so he could keep an eye on his target. Being someone tricky, the blond was fully aware that the slightest lack of vigilance could afford the enemy to strike back.

As they moved away from the unarmed magician, Kamijou noticed something unusual, despite the low brightness. That wasn't really something you could see actually, it was more a hunch. He used to know him as a carefree person who could even consider his own death like a prank, but the one standing here seemed far too serious as far as he knew. If one delved into this feeling, he could say that something like a murderous intent was emanating from him.

A shiver runs through Kamijou. Because of his affiliation to both sides, Tsuchimikado's intentions were never clear for his enemies or even allies. As a result, Kamijou wondered if his behaviour, since his memory loss, was real or fake.

-I suppose you have a lot of questions to ask me, said the spy.

-Who wouldn't? He answered rhetorically as his thoughts were cut off.

Tsuchikamado searched in his vest pocket and took out a sheet of paper that he threw to his friend, who instinctively caught it. The spiky haired youngster hastened to unfold it and used the light of his cell phone. His eyes narrowed as he noticed several red crosses on what seemed to be a map of the underground mall.

-What are these for? He asked with a puzzled look.

-They represent the places where our guest might have put some runes to create this space.

-Then you are asking me to get rid of them, he quickly followed. Wouldn't it be better if we disposed of him together instead?

-To be honest, I'd rather you lead her to safety.

-What?

-Don't you get it? You'll be more of a hindrance than a help.

-But...

Kamijou's right fist tightened as started to move toward him but he was stopped by Himegami, who was tugging at his left sleeve. The boy turned back and saw her shaking her head. After looking at her few seconds, he unclenched his fist. Words were useless to understand what she meant.

-Alright, he sighed with a sorrowful look. Let's do it that way.

He calmly put his left hand on her shoulder as she loosened her grip. In return, she slightly smiled to show him she was glad he kept his composure. Before they left the place, Touma glanced at Tsuchimikado one last time.

-You'd better have to explain us what the hell is going on after that, do I make myself clear?

Though he said it menacingly, Tsuchimikado didn't bother answering. There was no way for Touma to know if he was just annoyed to answer him, or too focused on his opponent to hear what he just said.

The two remaining glared at each other until the echoes of their footsteps ceased to be audible. The silence was finally broke by the mysterious man.

-Something bothers me. If you knew where I could have the runes to create this magic field, why didn't you destroy them all?

His remark was quite pertinent. Nullifying this spell and coming here with reinforcement would have been a better strategy. Well, that would be case if it wasn't for Tsuchimikado's physical condition, which was unknown to the man. Not wanting to reveal this weakness, the spy had to make up a valuable reason.

-The kid is more suited for this task. Besides, your reputation preceded you and I wanted to see with my own eyes if it was true, he announced as a mischievous grin appeared on his face.

-What kind of reputation? He asked with a frown.

-Don't pretend to be ignorant unless you really are modest. Exterminating a whole underground cult trying to resurrect...

-How did you know that?! he cut him short.

-My, my! You could at least let me finish my sentence, he sighed. To make things short, getting information is something I'm good at.

The man remained speechless few seconds.

-However, this is not the only thing I excel at.

This moment could have been fatal if he had let his attention wander a brief instant. Like a samurai waiting for the last second before unsheathing his sword, he kicked a chair that was near the pastry booth just as he heard him cocking the rear-trigger of his gun. Being well trained in combat, Tsuchimikado's reflexes made it possible for him to dodge the improvised projectile in time with a sidestep. Thus, he shortly lost track of him. He understood then that the main purpose of that chair wasn't to hurt him but buy some time, as he saw him getting up from a roll he just did to quickly grab his weapon on the floor.

Both were now aiming at each other and shot simultaneously. Their bullets grazed each other cheek, barely missing a fatal wound for both. Staying still was too dangerous so they tried to get the best cover they could reach as quickly as possible. Tsuchimikado was able to overturn a table and hide behind. Gabriel didn't have this much chance since there was nothing nearby the place where his gun had wound up. "Was it planned?" was what he had thought a brief moment. On the other hand, he could have tried to hide in one of the others shops but he would have been trapped inside if the situation didn't turn in his favour.

Despite the lack of time to make a decision, he didn't lose his composure and decided to frantically shoot him while attempting to lose him. Running while firing couldn't grant him a good aiming, but his firepower could be enough to intimidate his enemy and prevent him from retaliating effectively. "Sometimes, the best form of defence is attack" says the proverb. Tsuchimikado's shelter started to shatter.

-Well, he is definitively not someone to be taken lightly, the young spy thought.

Despite this dangerous situation, he couldn't help himself to smirk as he wiped off the blood on his cheek. With his ability, he could have risked taking a shot or two while getting out of his cover for proper aiming. However, he preferred playing it more safely and fired back wildly between each peek. In this mess, they couldn't really confirm each other position with the detonations because of the echo, but the strobes provoked by their weapons were enough to hint them. Walls, windows and others stuff lying between the two wild gunslingers were smashed to bits.

None could have told how long this gunfire really lasted but it eventually ceased. Tsuchimikado's body stiffened under the rush the adrenaline and his heart was beating so fast he thought it could be heard for afar. Maybe the same could be said for his opponent. He held his breath and tried to hear anything that could help him to decide of the next action to take. Aside from the sound of crumbling tiled walls, he didn't hear anything special.

-Out of ammo, injured, escaped...

A flow of hypothesis crossed his mind though the idea he was dead wasn't one of them. He was too experienced to think that way and this suspicious silence was clearly not announcing good news. But remaining hidden wouldn't help get things done. Proceeding carefully, he picked a piece of wood and threw it away, but the emitted sound didn't generate a reaction. The area appeared to secure for the time being, what encouraged him to move forward, where he used to be. It looked like he escaped

Out of the blue, Tsuchimikado was pushed back by a flash as it seems he bumped into something invisible.

-A barrier. That's quite interesting, he muttered to himself as he slowly stretched his arm before him.

A bright light taking the form of his hand appeared before him. It was at this moment he noticed some spots on the floor ahead.

-It seems fortune smile upon me, he thought aloud as he smiled widely.

_Somewhere else..._

-One more! Kamijou said out loudly as he smashed another rune. Damn! How many of these are there left?

He was about to run for another one but stopped when he noticed his friend was heavily panting. He wouldn't have thought his race pace could be difficult to follow for her.

-Let's make a short halt! It would be troublesome if you passed out.

She looked at him with surprise though she somehow welcomed this breathing space.

-I'm a burden, ain't I? She stated, piqued, though that feeling wasn't clearly visible on her face.

He sighed and sat down on one of the cardboard boxes that were lying in the room. It appeared we were in a storeroom since various date of sending could be read on the others boxes.

-Don't let it get you down, he tried to cheer up. No one can excel in all things.

-Is there anything I am good at...

-Come on! Did you forget that girl you saved two months ago?

-With that ability of mine you mean...

The long-haired girl wasn't really expressive and yet it was apparent the tone she used to say that was angry or rather scared. Mentioning it opened an old wound from the past and she couldn't help herself to clutch her necklace to her chest. The spiky haired youngster noticed it and gulped. He obviously displayed a poor choice of words and yet...

-Look at me! He said loudly as he beat his chest with his right hand. I must be the most unfortunate guy on this world and yet I make the best of it.

His bad lack wasn't comparable to mass slaughtering but it seemed she understood his message, since a slight smile appeared on her face. Furthermore, that little argue made them forget the strain. He stood up and half-opened the door.

-By the way, the gunshots ceased, noted the girl. Do you think...?

-If there is one thing we can't trust Tsuchimikado with, it's dying, he bluntly answered.

She stared at him with a puzzled look but didn't bother to ask for further explanation. After a quick glance to see if the coast was clear, they went on with their task.

_Speaking of that..._

Gabriel leaned against a wall of a family restaurant's kitchen and sunk slowly to the floor. His retreat didn't go so well and a bullet entered his left, from which blood was abundantly dripping. There was sweat as well on his forehead because of the pain but he refrained from crying though he let out a long sigh. That fight made him nostalgic but now wasn't the time to be absorbed in memories.

After this short rest, he laboriously stood up and began to look cleaning cloths and a pair of pliers. In the absence of scalpel, he had to improvise for this surgery. Making sure to clean the wound and gag to avoid biting himself, he widened it with the blade on his gun. His body tensed under the increasing pain but kept doing what could be called butchery by the faint heart. Once that was done, he pulled out the bullet with the pair of pliers.

However, the most painful part was only just beginning. With a trembling hand, he slowly pulled a vial with a bluish liquid from his jacket's pocket and took a deep breath. He knew for sure it would hurt like hell but there was no sign of hesitation as he poured it at once on his arm. Pain was clearly apparent on his face with the tears he shed, though his gag didn't let him cry out. Strangely, he was getting more and more used to it although he wouldn't consider himself masochist.

Shortly after recovering his breath, he started to get up when suddenly; he heard a glass breaking and saw something rolling toward. His eyes widened as...

Getting rid of this barrier had taken some time but luckily for him, the bloodspots left by the other magician were enough to track him back quickly.

-I guess I was right to take one of these with me, he thought with a grin.

Tsuchimikado covered his ears with his hands right after he had thrown a cluster bomb through a window. The explosion blew the remaining windows with a huge bang.

-Wow! These toys are quite something, he laughed nervously.

Since the deflagration had destroyed most of the lamps, it could have been difficult for him to find his way if he didn't have a plan B. He pulled a white origami crane and chanted an incantation. When he had finished, the small sheet of paper twirled and flared up in green flames that scattered, thus illuminating the surroundings.

Despite he had protected his ears with his hands, the shock left him a bit dizzy though it was probably due to his little trick, but it didn't stop him to move toward the fuming ruins. Shattered glasses and bits of burned wood were cracking under his feet and dust made it quite uneasy to breathe and see ahead. He moved inside and started to look for a corpse when a dim light caught his attention. He took a closer look at it and saw a circle drawn on the floor. He quickly understood he wasn't dead.

His suspicions were rightly confirmed as he heard a whistle behind him. Instinctively, he drew out his pistol and tried to retaliate with a shot. But whatever arrived behind him was too fast and clashed with his weapon before he could do so. There was a bright spark and the gun barrel was cut outright. He guessed he was using a blade, the dust just letting him see a silhouette. Just as he saw the second attack coming, he anticipated where it would land and countered with a kick with his right leg. It hit what he supposed was his arm, as the "blade" was hurled away. Tsuchimikado immediately raised that same leg above his head and dropped it like an axe. The man barely dodged it with a backstep but the rubbles were making the ground quite unstable, which made him lose his balance. Taking this opportunity, just as his front leg hit the ground; Tsuchimikado pivoted his hips and aimed under his ribs with the four fingers of his left hand, from the index finger to the little finger.

However, that stabbing attack didn't succeed. The man had managed to recover his balance by lowering his centre of gravity and avoided the incoming attack with a little sidestep. Immediately after dodging, he grabbed his arm and rotated by 180°. Using this momentum, he swung his left leg back and threw Tsuchimikado over his shoulder. Not totally taken by surprise by this judo's thrown, the spy tried to stab his eyes. That vicious strike kind of startled him and made him loose his grip.

With the momentum, Tsuchimikado was thrown out of the restaurant. He absorbed the shock with his left shoulder and a roll. Luckily for him, he didn't cut himself upon impact and lifted up his head just in time to see his opponent getting dangerously closer with a jumping kick. He came within a hair of receiving the blow and quickly retaliated with a kick as he stood up from a roll on the side. The man didn't slacken and tackled right after he had landed, at the moment Tsuchimikado was initiating his attack. They both fell with a thud and Gabriel, who was now at the top of Tsuchimikado, landed a punch in the face. The youngster took the blow, which broke his sunglasses, and blood was pouring from his nose.

Despite the pain, Tsuchimikado smiled. Taking it as a provocation, the man who had now the upper hand tried to score another hit. But this time, he dodged his right fist with a tilt and pulled his arm toward himself while he passed his right leg behind the man's head and his left one over his right leg. The teenager succeeded his triangle choke and the fight was over...

Well, it would have been over if his opponent was a normal being.

In spite of the fact he was locked, the man stood up as he lifted him up, to his surprise. He violently smashed the youngster on the ground who released his grip upon impact. Although he was a bit groggy, he managed to gather his strength to avoid the foot that was coming from above, about to crash his head.

Tsuchimikado stood up and moved back. Without a doubt, both were tired of this trade of attacks and ripostes as they stared at each other while breathing heavily during a moment. They stood that way maybe a minute or two before the man resumed the hostilities. He rushed the teenager and threw a shower of fists. Rather than trying to counter-attack, Tsuchimikado merely deflected and avoided his punches, while skirting around him. Despite a ceaseless assault, none of his fists got through his defence. That started annoying him as his pace was slowing. He tried then to grab him but the spy somehow planned it.

Just as he was about to seize the collar of his winter uniform with his left hand, Tsuchimikado gripped his third finger and little finger with his right hand. A horrible cracking sound could be heard as he twisted his wrist while raising his arm. Gabriel winced in pain and was caught off guard by a knee in the plexus during that split second. This attack left him breathless and he knelt down after few backsteps.

Tsuchimikado set off for the final blow, which was a poke in the eyes. However, the man didn't let himself tricked by this attack twice and blocked with his forehead. Whereas the teenager winced because of his twisted fingers, his opponent stepped on his foot and delivered and straight punch right in the face. The timing made it impossible for Tsuchimikado to dodge.

However...

His fist did touch him but it felt like it "slid" over his skin. The man stepped back with a pale look.

-You can't..., he stuttered. You are...

The youngster closed his eyes and sighed. Then, he started to giggle and ended up laughing hysterically, with his hand over his face, barely masking a twisted grin.

-Oh my! I didn't think I would screw up like that, he thought aloud. What's the matter? It looks like you just saw a ghost.

-How can you still...

-Be alive? He finished his sentence. Quite late to have remorse, don't you think?

-Why are we fighting? Do you grudge against me for what happened that day? He asked with a shivering voice.

-Don't be so egocentric, he eluded the question. Times are changing.

The man didn't react. It was like he went into a trance.

-The fun is over. Let's end this! He shouted.

Taking advantage of the moment the man didn't pay attention, the teenager dashed toward him. His attack would have finished him if it wasn't for a lightning strike to suddenly end the fight.

* * *

><p>At last, another chapter :D<p>

While i enjoy writing that story, I have to say it's kind of tough for me to get back into it (and I am too lazy to write many chapters in a row)

About the background of my OCs, i was wondering if I should put them like sidestories or directly into the main one, though i fear that in the later choice, there might be spoilers.

What do you guys think?

_ps : i'll edit the names in the previous chapters later, i was just too lazy to do it right after posting this new one :p_


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